Chase the Sun
by leavesfallingup
Summary: Old West Challenge. Kyoko discovers that everything that she has worked for and believed in was nothing but dust and tumbleweeds. Now she must shape her own destiny by chasing the sun. ON HIATUS
1. Kyoko, Plain and Boring

**Chase the Sun**

**Disclaimer:** I do not own SkipBeat or the story that this title makes allusion to. In the interest of creating a more western feel, some of the names of the main characters have been slightly altered.

**Chapter 1 – Kyoko, Plain and Boring**

Clickety-clack, clickety-clack; the song of the train on the west-bound tracks droned on-and-on, endlessly, inescapably. For the first two-hundred miles Kyoko had thrilled at the song and all that it represented to her. Now, with mile after endless mile of track behind her, all she wanted to do was to get as far away from railroads as possible… at least she hoped so. Once again she grumbled inwardly at her lack of any clear idea of geography. Where exactly was St. Louis in relation to the railroads? Was it anything like the populous, organized, modern city she had always known as home?

Kyoko had been an outstanding student during her eight years of schooling, but Boston society's views on the education of females prevented her from learning everything she needed and wanted to know; which was everything. Kyoko Mogami's mind hungered and thirsted for knowledge, but her teachers and her foster parents had expected her to be content with "feminine pursuits." That was the reason that her foster mother had pulled her out of the mixed school and put her into Lady Champeau's Finishing School for Girls of Breeding… well… that and the fact that Kyoko had always managed to get better grades than her foster brother, Shotaro.

Her hand slipped into her reticule and immediately found her most precious treasure, the letter from Sho. Kyoko had been hurt and a little heartbroken when her foster brother had pulled her aside one evening to borrow money and to inform her of his determination to run away and "go west and make a name" for himself. Up until then she had always entertained the fantasy that someday they would marry and that she would work with him to build and grow the Fuwa hotel into the most successful and well-respected hotel in New England. In her heart she knew that it would probably never happen.

From the first time that Kyoko had met the Fuwas, when she had just turned six, she had known that the blond haired boy with the angelic face was wilder than the storms that sometimes pounded the rocky shores along the New England shore. He was animated and adventurous, full of ideas and schemes; none of which involved taking over the family business. For some reason Kyoko and Sho had hit it off right away; perhaps because she never fawned over him like all of the other prissy little society girls who lived in the area. Whatever the reason, they went everywhere together and often returned to the hotel scraped, dirty, and glowing with the secret knowledge of childhood escapades that their parents would never know about.

Of course, in Kyoko's case, her mother would have probably not even cared. Her mother, Saena, had always been rushed and brusque with everyone except for the current filthy rich man whom she was pursuing. Saena was beautiful in the way that an ice-sculpture is beautiful; hard and without warmth. She was on the prowl and she saw her daughter as a liability, so she basically abandoned the girl to her own resources for much of the week. Yumako Fuwa, Sho's mother and co-owner of the hotel with her husband, liked the little black-haired girl and so she often took pity on the girl and invited her in for meals. Then one day, after a particularly exciting row out into Boston harbor that had almost resulted in the pair being swept out to sea, Saena simply disappeared. Kyoko returned to her hotel room to find that all of her mother's possessions were gone and only Kyoko's few meager belongings remained.

The Fuwas were incensed, since Saena had fled without paying her rather hefty bill. Kyoko was devastated because she had lost the only mother she had ever known and she had no money and no place to live. For a week Sho hid her in one of the unused maid's rooms, but Yumako ran her hotel like a well-oiled machine and she knew from the first day that the little girl was still there. Her initial anger, and that of her husband, almost prompted them to send the child to an orphanage. But Yumako hid a kind soul beneath her stern, businesslike exterior and she knew that Kyoko was not at fault. If anything Kyoko was the biggest victim. Several times Yumako had seen the bruises on the little girl's face from Saena's fits of temper. She pitied the girl. Still, it wouldn't do to simply adopt the girl and allow her to slip into an easy life. She would one day be as beautiful as her mother, which might spell trouble. Kyoko needed to learn the value of hard work, lest she follow in her mother's footsteps.

That resolved, Yumako and her husband Tomajii moved Kyoko the closest maid's room and made her an unofficial part of the family. Kyoko had a strong sense of responsibility and duty, even from such a young age. She was deeply conscious of her own abandonment, but even more so of the fact that her mother had left with money owing. She resolved immediately to do everything within her meager power to pay off her mother's debt and the debt she was incurring by being a burden on the Fuwas. In her tender young mind there was also the innocent dream of someday becoming Shotaro's bride.

Unfortunately, Kyoko's inclusion in the family and her determination to buckle down and work off her debt altered the little girl in the eyes of Shotaro. When the cute little girl had been his partner-in-crime throughout the streets of Boston, she had been fun. Now that she was learning the trade of hospitality at Yumako's feet, she began to seem boring. It didn't help that Yumako took measures to keep Kyoko humble by forbidding makeup and dressing the girl in bland, unappealing clothing. As Sho grew and began to notice girls, his plainly, boring, and hardworking childhood companion became an embarrassment. Still, for reasons even he did not understand, he kept Kyoko close whenever he wasn't surrounded by his rich friends and adoring society girls.

As the two children grew older, their paths and their outlook on life diverged. Kyoko was sent to school by the Fuwas. She was brilliant in all of her subjects and eventually learned three other languages. Then, as she began to reach her teens, she was moved to finishing school. Kyoko hated the change, though she kept silent. Her penmanship was beautiful. Her drawing and painting was good. But these things weren't what made her stand out and singled her out for the bullies. Sadly, four things worked against her: She was close to Sho Fuwa. She was plain and boring. She was without estate or family. She was better at just about everything than the other girls.

It was the last characteristic which made her an object of hatred to the other girls. It was bad enough that a poor girl was allowed at the finishing school. It was bad enough that she spoke freely and comfortably with the most handsome and exciting young boy in Boston. This might have been excused if she was awkward and clumsy. Instead Kyoko was the best at serving tea, had the best posture, the best deportment, and conducted herself with ease among all of the most noteworthy people who came to visit the school. The teachers themselves would trot her out to be noticed whenever there was such a visit in the hopes of making the best impression… and this made the girls hate her.

Kyoko could hardly be blamed for these characteristics. After all, Yumako Fuwa was the epitome of grace and class and she had been training Kyoko since she was seven. The training hadn't been easy. At times Yumako was almost brutal in her techniques. Sometime Kyoko had even cried herself to sleep at night after long days when she felt that she couldn't possibly ever please the older woman. Yet, in the end Kyoko _did_ succeed. The result was a young lady who was as polished and sophisticated as any who ever walked the marbled mansions of Boston high-society.

The other result was that Sho usually ignored her, including his lack of empathy or concern when Kyoko was bullied by the same girls in her school who fought and scratched to be the one to catch his attention. Still, Kyoko somehow held on to her childish ideal of marriage to Sho… until the day that he pulled her aside and announced his intentions to run west. His father had become increasingly adamant about training his son to take over, and Sho wanted none of it. As the rancor between father and son grew, Sho's determination grew as well. Despite his hefty allowance his favorite purchases were penny, nickel, and dime novels about great adventures in the unsettle territories. He devoured the books and was determined that someday he would make a name for himself in the Wild West.

Kyoko had given Sho every penny that she had saved up on the night that he fled. It had been nearly every penny that she had earned in eight years of working at the Fuwa Grande Hotel. It was to have been her dowry. When Sho left, her dreams went with him. She had thought that he was gone forever despite his promise that he would send for her once he made his fortune. For a year there had been only silence and guilt. Sho never wrote and Kyoko had to remain silent concerning his whereabouts and her part in his disappearance. It broke her heart to see Mrs. Fuwa cry and Mr. Fuwa becoming angrier and angrier. But Kyoko believed that she loved Sho and she also believe that he would eventually make a name for himself and make his parents proud… she didn't really believe that he would ever send for her.

And then the letter came:

_Dear Kyoko, _

_I have begun to make a name for myself her in St. Louis, Missouri Territory. It is an amazingly exciting town with many opportunities for two ambitious young people. I want to fulfill my promise to you. Please come to St. Louis as soon as you can with as much money as you can get your hands on. Everything happens fast here, so you must hurry so that we can make the most of our chances._

_The railroad reached St. Louis just this last year, so getting here shouldn't be too hard for you. Save every penny you can on your trip. Unfortunately I don't have any money to send you, so you will have to make it here on your own. Come in early spring if you can._

_Sho Fuwa._

The Kyoko had received the letter in October. From that day on she had worked harder in the hotel and she had also taken on odd jobs when she wasn't at the hotel. In the end she had saved enough to pay her fare and to build up thirty more dollars besides… which seemed to be a vast fortune for her. When March came, she wrote a letter to the Fuwas telling them that she was going to join their son and that she would write as soon as they were settled and successful. With shame and regret, she snuck out and caught the first train headed west toward Ohio and eventually St. Louis.

It bothered Kyoko that Sho hadn't mentioned marriage, but assuredly that was only an oversight on his part… that had to be it… right?

**oOoOOoOo**

Ren Tsuruga guided his bay horse, Jesse, along the wide dirt track that was the newest road in the ever-growing city of St. Louis. He whistled softly to himself in amazement at the magnitude of change that the city had undergone in only two years since he had last ridden west. At the time the city had been growing, but he hadn't imagined that it would have consumed seven additional miles of territory.

"Then again," he said to nobody in particular, "The railroad is here now, the west is opening, and they do call this town 'The Gateway to the West!'" He chuckled as Jesse twitched his ears up to listen to his master. "Well, Lory is probably in hog-heaven right about now. He certainly spent enough blood, sweat, and tears boosting this place to any easterner who would listen.

It was not remarkable that Ren didn't classify himself as an "easterner" anymore, despite the fact that his father and mother were among the most notable families in that region. He had been in the west, pushing the borders and riding the vast area for the last five years. This was home now and he was a new man… despite the demons of his past which still haunted his sleep and occasionally his waking hours. He shook off any thought of that now, though, because he was here to meet with Lory Takarada and to find out what new adventure waited him in the mind of St. Louis' most eccentric individual.

His course was leading him further into town now, and as he rode the buildings changed from log, to slab, and then to red brick. _Things are changing. If I had been away any longer I wouldn't recognize this city at all._ He rode on, sitting tall in his saddle, his hat tipped back, oblivious to the admiring and often flirtatious looks from the many women who were beginning to appear in town. At six-foot five he towered over most men. His genetic heritage had made his lean and well-made, just as five years working the trails had tanned and hardened him into a man that few could match and even fewer would dare to challenge. Added to all of this was a face that was sculpted by the gods, highlighted by blond hair and sky-blue eyes.

The bay stallion was conscious of every eye watching. He naturally assumed that all of the attention was on him and he began to prance. Ren felt the change and was shaken out of his reverie. He reached down to pat Jesse's neck and said, "Whoah there, boy. All of these people around here got you spooked?" His voice was deep and it carried across the dirt road which only enticed the ladies more. Several of them swooned, but the tall man didn't pay them any mind.

Ren did see the ladies, but his mind was fixed elsewhere. He could hear the approaching whistle of the train announcing its approach and warning any stragglers to clear the tracks. Ren watched the huge black engine spewing steam and clanging as it passed by. He shook his head at the noise, so foreign to his ears after so long on the trail. Then he realized what that train's passing meant and he spurred Jesse to follow.

**oOoOOoOo**

"Would you look at _that!_" A female voice almost moaned in a husky voice. Kyoko looked up to see what was happening as two other young women brushed past her seat to look. They all began speaking all at once in excited whispers, as if anyone or anything could hear them through the thick glass of the train window. Kyoko glanced out the window to see what they were looking at. There, on a beautiful light brown horse with a black tail, mane, and hoofs was a tall, weathered and very handsome man. For just a moment Kyoko's breath caught, but then she quickly realized that this man was too tall to be Sho… and then she felt guilty when she couldn't resist the urge to look again.

Thus distracted, neither Kyoko nor the other ladies were prepared for the sudden braking of the train. Kyoko was sitting, so the sudden stop only jarred her forward, but several of the standing ladies fell over on top of each other in a sprawl. This caused general amusement to everyone in the car and Kyoko almost couldn't hear the conductor's loud "St. Louis, end of the line ladies and gentlemen!"

The tall, almost beautiful man was forgotten as Kyoko rushed to grab her valise, her reticule, and her hat. The crowd jostled by her, all politeness gone as each person struggled for a place in the line to exit the car. Frustrated and anxious, Kyoko considered shoving her way in, but she chose to sit and wait patiently instead.

**oOoOOoOo**

"REN!" A sweet, trilling voice sang out and a small, lacey figure rushed forward to hurl herself into the air. Ren was prepared for this and he easily snatched the little doll-like figure out of the air, wrapping the girl in a deep, affectionate hug.

"Hello, Maria. How was school back east?"

The pretty, reddish-blond girl made a face and said, "Horrible! Everyone's so _proper_ and _self-important_ that I could hardly stand it!"

"And I supposed that you behaved?" Ren asked with a knowing twinkle in his eyes.

Maria dimpled and gave the tall man her best innocent look, "Of course I did…" Ren raised a doubtful eyebrow which caused the girl to dissolve into giggles.

"It's a wonder the school's still standing," a very deep, rich voice proclaimed. Ren looked past Maria's impish face to regard the most unusual sight he had seen for quite some time. A tall, lean, mustachioed man stood on the platform, wearing the garb of a Spanish bullfighter, complete with lacy sleeves and cravat. His shoes had huge gold buckles. All of his buttons… and there were many… were also gold.

Ren smiled and reached out a free hand. "How are you, Boss?"

"I am well, Ku… I mean… Ren." The older man saw Ren flinch at that slip. Although that was Ren's only visible reaction, Lory Takarada could also sense the internal turmoil. He had made the slip intentionally. It had been five years since the young man in front of him changed his identity; far longer than Lory had intended and he was afraid that Rather than apologize, he took a different approach. "I'm glad to see that my messages caught up with you, Ren. I was afraid that it might take all winter to track you down."

Ren shifted Maria to his side so that he could move closer and speak more quietly to the older man, "And why would that be necessary? What is so important that you called me in at the beginning of my hunting and trapping season?" Maria gently extracted herself and Ren set her down so that she could go to check on her luggage. She knew of her grandfather's plan and she hoped that her favorite person would sign on.

Lory smiled, gesturing around him, "This is probably not the best place for this conversation. We'll speak this eveni…" Lory's words stopped as he realized that Ren was no longer paying attention. He followed the young man's gaze and was pleased to note that it was a young lady who had arrested his attention.

**oOoOOoOo**

Kyoko saw that the door was almost clear before she once-again gathered her few belongings and made her way to join the few remaining people. The conductor, a jovial man with a ready smile, nodded his head at her as she approached. "Ma'am, I sincerely hope that your time in St. Louis will be all that you hoped." He had taken a liking to the young, composed, upper-class lady. She had spoken to him several times during the journey and had always been polite and respectful, despite her obviously superior social status. He was worried, however, that the press and energy of this rapidly booming city would be too much for her.

Kyoko smiled and nodded. The conductor was the only person who had spoken to her throughout most of the trip and she was grateful. As the last person in front of her stepped down and out of the train, Kyoko followed and found herself in a mass of moving humanity as friend met friend and family met family. She scanned the crowd for any sign of Sho, and she didn't see him right away. She did, however, meet the sky-blue eyes of the tall man she had seen riding beside the train. There was something there… something oddly familiar… Kyoko was jostled by a large, brusque man wheeling a cask from the train. When she looked up again, the tall man was no longer visible.

"Well, well..." A sinister voice spoke behind Kyoko, sending a chill down her spine, "… what do we have here?" Kyoko turned and was confronted by a pock-marked, unshaven face with foul breath. The man, who was somewhere in his thirties, had a face somewhat like a rat and his teeth, those that were still in his mouth, pushed out his lips to enhance his rat-like image. Another man, taller and more gaunt but just as ugly, stepped around the first and began to work his way behind Kyoko.

"She's a little plain, Gus, but still she's kinda purdy," the second man breathed out, adding to the foulness of the air. He reached out to touch Kyoko's hair and Kyoko flinched away. She had learned how to deal with drunken men at the Fuwa's hotel, but this situation was beyond her experience. As she shrunk away from the second man, she was grabbed by the first, the man named "Gus."

"Why don't we just take you home with…" He never completed his sentence because a large fist sang through the air and impacted directly on his nose and close between his bloodshot eyes. Those eyes rolled back into his head and he crumpled where he stood. The second man made a yelping sound as he tried to dig for his gun, but as fast as lightening he was suddenly looking directly into the barrel of a large, Colt Navy revolver.

"I suggest that you pick up your friend and drag him off to wherever you both crawled out of," the assailant ordered with a frost in his voice that sent chills down the spines of the second man and just about everyone within twenty feet in every direction. The second man looked up into the very tall man's murderous gaze and nodded. Quickly before the terrifying tall stranger could change his mind, he reached down, grabbed his partner under the shoulders, and dragged the man away.

Kyoko watched with almost morbid fascination as the anger slid off of the tall man's face. In a moment he seemed almost… pleasant. But then he turned his gaze on Kyoko and his face became expressionless, "Ma'am, this is west. It is a hard, cold, cruel place. It is no place for a lady. Maybe in a few years, but for now I suggest that you get back on that train and begin your journey in the opposite direction."

Kyoko's immediate reaction was annoyance. She had just scrimped and saved and suffered to make it here to St. Louis. Who was _he_ to tell her to go home? She picked up her bags and turned to tell him just that, but he had already lost interest in her and moved on.

* * *

><p><strong>Notes: <strong>First of all, please don't hate me for starting this story. There has been a lot going on in my life right now and my creativity has sunken into the abyss. When I read about this western challenge issued by AlitaBlake, I suddenly felt enthusiastic again. I am hoping that this new energy will also flow into my other stories that are waiting in strangled solitude. So please wish me luck and try not to be too cruel to me.

_Leavesfallingup_

**The Challenge:**

The Kyoko and Ren Travel To The Old West Challenge(for lack of a better name)  
><em>Ok, I guess it could be the anybody from Skip Beat travels to the Old West Challenge, but I only like RenKyoko fics. hehe. Sorry_.

The Rules:  
>1) It must take place in the old west (is there an old west in Japan? IDK. Any location, as long as it is Old and West. Just play with it.) and fit the bill of a typical western.<br>2) It must end KyokoXRen, but feel free to throw in whomever you please (The idea of Lory in the Old West intrigues me  
>3) There MUST be a gunfight. Doesn't matter who's in it, but there are ALWAYS gun fights in westerns.<br>4) In character would be nice, but OOC is understandable to a degree. However, basics should be kept. (Any scenes where Ren shoots Sho, perfectly acceptable)


	2. The Ugly Truth

**Chase the Sun**

**Disclaimer:** I do not own SkipBeat or the story that this title makes allusion to. In the interest of creating a more western feel, some of the names of the main characters have been slightly altered.

**Chapter 2 – The Ugly Truth**

Kyoko waited in growing consternation as the platform cleared. Everyone else had been picked up or had caught some mode of transportation to their final destination and she was still standing there. _Maybe Shotaro didn't receive my letter! What if he isn't even in St. Louis anymore? What if he is? How could I possibly find him among all of these people?_ Kyoko set her face and wouldn't allow herself to sink into despair. She had faced many hardships in life, and she would face this one as well… but she did hope that Shotaro would come soon.

She watched with interest and a sense of other-worldliness as people of every description passed by on the busy cobblestone street that paralleled the railroad tracks. There were the usual businessmen in suits, but there were also men dressed in canvas, in leathers, and even in furs. They travelled by foot, by horse, and by carriage. One man even passed by looking completely ridiculous on a bicycle. It wasn't so much that the little man looked ridiculous on the odd-looking contraption; it was the way that the huge front wheel bounced and jarred and jinked along the cobblestone of the street. Despite her worries, she had to giggle at this.

One thing that startled her was the number of men who walked or rode casually through town with weapons. There were pistols in holsters and rifles and shotguns. There was even one man who wore what appeared to be a cavalry sword attached to his belt. Kyoko had only seen two guns before in her life. In Boston even the policemen usually only carried batons.

There were women too… several had passed by… but their manner of dress, their painted faces, and their very forward attitude toward the passing men immediately told Kyoko of their profession. She blushed and turned her face away as one of them hooked arms with a man and led him off towards a tall, freshly painted two-story hotel. Working in a hotel since early childhood, Kyoko had seen enough to know that not every woman who came into the hotel on a man's arm was his wife, but the Fuwas had always drawn the line on ladies of the evening plying their trade in or in front of their hotel. This scene made her feel that she was seeing a world she never could have imagined; raw and wild.

A part of her wondered if the tall, arrogant man hadn't been right after all: did she really belong there? She shook that thought from her head. She was here and she was staying. Shotaro had sent for her at last! He needed her! He lov… well… no… he hadn't written anything in his letter about loving her… but then, why else would he have sent for her?

Two older men holding a loud conversation said something which caught Kyoko's ear. They were sitting on a bench that faced the street, oblivious to her presence. Kyoko scooted a little closer to hear more.

"I tell ya, that young Fuwa Kid, now… you give him a few more years and he'll be just as fast as any man in these parts," the tall, balding man proclaimed.

"Yeah sure… if'n he lives long enough. Now you take that Ren Tsuruga character who just rode back into town this mornin', you were there as well as I was when he faced off with those three varmints. Why, I reckon I'll still remember that fight 'til my dyin' day! Shot all three men before any one of them could draw a bead on 'im."

"I know _that_!" the first man rejoined, annoyance in his voice, "I'm jes' sayin' that the Kid's got the stuff! You don' need ta go trottin' out that Ren fella ev'ry gol durned time I says sumthin'!"

"Excuse me?" The two men were jarred out of their usual argument by the soft voice behind them. They turned in tandem to find themselves looking into eager, sincere golden eyes, "I'm truly sorry for eavesdropping, but I heard you mentioning the name of Fuwa… could you be speaking of Sho Fuwa?"

The first man, remembering himself, hopped up and attempted to remove a nonexistent hat. Failing to find one, he tried instead to smooth his thinning hair. The second, shorter man followed suit, only he did have a hat, which he removed and held to his chest. The second man was quicker to regain his tongue and he spoke up, "Yes, Miss… we was speakin' of Sho Fuwa… only folks around here'uv been callin' him the Fuwa Kid."

Kyoko smiled brightly, unaware of the deep impact her glowing face was having on the two old bachelors. "Oh! That's wonderful! Please, Sir, could you tell me where I might find him?"

The taller man had found his voice now and he shoved his way in front of his compatriot, who tried in vain to regain the fore. They looked like to mischievous school boys as they tried to look composed while continuously shoving. The tall man was the first to answer this time, "That's an easy 'un, Miss." He gestured one long, lanky arm toward the two-story building that Kyoko had seen before, "He's most likely tryin' his luck on the tables in there."

Kyoko thanked both men profusely, gathered her belongings, and made her way down the platform and across the cobbled street.

**oOoOOoOo**

Despite the intensity of the game, every eye drifted away from the cards as the beautiful, shapely Aki Shoko approached the table. She scanned both cards and faces and frowned prettily. Her eyes met and held the brown eyes of the youngest man at the table. He was tall and young, thin but well-formed, and rakishly handsome. He was also in debt to Aki and to her establishment. "Play out your hand, Sho. You and I need to talk business."

This was a friendly, mid-afternoon game and it had been kept low-stakes, according to the rules of the house. Later, after the sun had set, the high-rollers would take their seats. During the daytime Aki liked to keep the hotel saloon peaceful. Sho folded shortly afterward, but he didn't mind too much. He had already won several good hands. He pushed back from the table, glorying in the jealous glares of the other men. They all thought that the gorgeous hotel owner and proprietor was pulling the young man aside for some… private time. Sho was a regular at the Westward Hotel and Saloon and everyone assumed that he had an established relationship with Aki. Sho knew this and he did nothing to dispel the rumors.

Sho craved fame, and it didn't hurt his already growing reputation when men thought that he was intimate with one of the most desired women in St. Louis. He had already earned a reputation as a gunfighter after two shoot-outs. In both cases he had been challenged, so there had been no problems with the law. Coupled with his bad-boy good looks, his height, and his perceived relationship with Aki Shoko; Sho was well on his way.

The truth was far different. It was true that the pair had a relationship, but it was purely business and purely platonic… not that Sho hadn't tried to change that. He wasn't used to women rejecting him, and it only made the lady more alluring. He followed her into her large office without closing the door completely. Then he walked up close behind her. Making his voice deep and caressing, he asked, "What can I do for you, Aki?"

Aki Shoko turned sideways in a manner that forced Sho backwards. Then she increased the distance further by placing herself on the other side of her large Maplewood desk. "Where is my money, Sho? You're gambling with the money you still owe to me. Frankly, I'm becoming a little tired of waiting."

Sho sat himself down casually on a wooden chair and stretched out his long legs. He smirked, "Relax, Aki. I promised you that I would pay my debt and I will. As a matter of fact I am expecting a large sum any day now. Look, you asked me to play poker in your hotel because you knew that my recent fame and my looks would attract business. Haven't I held up my part?"

"Would that money have anything to do with the girl you wrote the letter to? Oh, don't look at me like _that._ You know that the postman has been trying to get me to take a Sunday ride with him for a year now. Did you honestly think that he wouldn't tell me about your letter? What I want to know is: how do you expect this girl to furnish you with twenty dollars? Are you going to marry her? Because you would certainly have to change your ways before you should let any poor, innocent girl drag you to the altar."

Sho scoffed, plopping his long legs onto the polished desk and ignoring Aki's scowl, "Oh, she'll bring the money. She'll do anything for me because she worships the ground that I walk on. She has been raised by my family since early childhood and she has been devoted to me since we met. And as far as the money, she works harder than any three men… so she'll make plenty of money and she'll bring me every last penny of it."

"And then what?" Aki almost felt sorry for the girl Sho described.

"And then… nothing. She'll show up here and she'll go right back to work making more money so that I can live the kind of life I deserve," Sho noticed a smear on one of his highly-polished boots and used a handkerchief to wipe it away.

"It sounds as if you don't care anything about this girl, Sho. Surely you must care something about a girl you've known since childhood? You can't mean to treat her like some sort of servant?" Aki sounded disgusted.

"Well… I suppose that's what she is. I mean, if she were rich and beautiful I might consider marrying her. But Kyoko is poor, plain and boring. I'll be doing her a favor making her my personal servant."

"Is that right?" A female voice as cold as the deepest depths of hell chilled the two. "So what you're saying is that you just lured me across the states and the territories… you induced me to betray the two people who have done so much for me… you persuaded me to work until my fingers bled to make enough money to give us a start… all so that I could become your _servant_!"

Aki Shoko wasn't sure of exactly what was going on, but she could have sworn that the room dropped twenty degrees, the light dimmed, and the very timbers of the hotel began to shake. Worse, it felt as if tiny, invisible wraiths were dancing around her.

If Aki was startled, then Sho was even more so. He must have gotten his dates mixed up, because he recognized this girl as his childhood companion. But his Kyoko had never looked like _that_! Her figure hadn't grown that significantly and she was definitely not comparable to the hotelier in measurements, but the fire in her eyes and the rosiness of her cheeks made her look almost beautiful. Unfortunately, Sho was used to being around beautiful women and he wasn't scared of them. Despite his surprise, he quickly determined that it was more important on this day to put the girl in her place rather than apologize for a conversation she should never have listened to anyway.

With that determination in mind, Sho smirked, "That's what I said. Come on, Kyoko. You couldn't seriously believe that a man like me would want to tie himself down for the rest of his life… and even if I did, would I seriously marry someone as plain and boring as you? I don't know if you've heard, but I've killed two men since I came here; both of them in fair fights. I'm famous around here as one of the fastest guns in the states."

Kyoko was shocked at the idea of Sho killing anyone, but other emotions were stronger. In her anger and disgust, Kyoko remembered the conversation that had led her across the street. _What was that name…? Oh, yes!_ Kyoko smirked back at Sho, "From what I've heard, Ren Tsuruga is much faster."

Sho's face turned livid and he surged forward. He hated the fact that any other man was more famous than him, and he was sick and tired of hearing that name. "REN TSURUGA! I can beat him any day of the week! Why, he won't even show his face around here anymore. He hasn't been in this area for two years. I think he heard of me and chose to hide away in some cabin up north. Who knows, he may be dead by now."

Again the memory of the conversation came to mind, "That's not true, Shotaro," Kyoko taunted, "Because I just heard that he was back in town."

Sho blanched for a moment. His hand fell to his gun as if he was facing a challenger. Then he breathed deeply and relaxed. "Look, Kyoko, did you bring the money? I need it to take care of some things and…"

"Did you honestly think that I was going to give you money after…" Kyoko was so amazed that it rendered her momentarily speechless.

Sho used the lapse to talk over her, "Come on, Kyoko! Don't be like that. You and I are friends. We used to do everything together. Besides, you owe me because where would you be right now if my parents hadn't taken you in?"

"Your _parents_ took me in, Shotaro; not you! No, you ignored me and now you want to treat me like a servant!"

Sho, finally sensing that he might be in trouble, tried wheedling, "Please, Kyoko! You don't know how much trouble I will be in if I don't pay off the money I owe. These people can be cruel and my life may be in danger!"

Aki's eyes went wide, but she was too fascinated with the drama to bring up the issue of who he owed. Obviously he was playing on the poor girl's sympathies. Aki might have stepped in, but she was a woman of the world and her first priority was the money that Sho owed her. Still, she found the girl intriguing. Sho had described her as "plain and boring," but standing there now in her travelling dress with fire in her eyes, this Kyoko looked quite beautiful. She had hair as black as a raven and it hung to the small of her back. It was shiny, and well-brushed, despite the long trip, and it perfectly framed a pixie-like expressive face. The girl was not tall. She was slender and not well-endowed, but her perfectly-erect posture made her seem regal and pure woman. And yet it was none of these features that arrested Aki's attention… it was those large, stunning golden eyes.

Aki had seen pale eyes before, from light brown to hazel, but she had never seen such a captivating shade of honey-gold. _If I could get her to work for me, the men would be standing in line… but no, this girl would die rather than ever set foot on the second floor of my place. _

The second floor was half-hotel, half-brothel. Aki Shoko had not come to St. Louis with the intention of opening a cathouse, but there were so many single men and such a demand that she finally gave in. The one concession she wouldn't make was that she would have no part of the daily, or nightly, operation of that portion of her business. She had found an older, more… experienced woman to take on that role. She also made it quite clear to any man who approached her, and there were many, that she was not for sale or rent. Therefore she quickly squashed the stray idea of attempting to recruit this girl for that side of the business.

Sho's pleas and years of devotion both played their games with Kyoko's wounded heart. She would never trust this boy again, but she was unwilling to just throw him to the dogs just yet. In her anger and hurt, without thinking things through, she asked her question through gritted teeth, "How much, Shotaro?"

Aki saw the flash of triumph in the boy's eyes and it made her sick. Sho quickly altered his expression to something resembling penitence before answering, "Twenty… five dollars."

"TWENTY-FIVE DOLLARS! Shotaro, do you even _understand_ how hard it is to make that much money?" Kyoko was too shocked to even take in Sho's look of unconcern. "Fine!" She reached into her reticule, pulled out a smaller bag, and began counting out the money.

In 1859, twenty-five dollars was a very significant amount. For a sixteen year-old to earn and save that much was actually quite remarkable, and Aki was impressed. She turned to see Sho's reaction, and all that she saw was greed. _He's trying to figure out how much more she has! He's actually trying to find a way to get the rest! _Without thinking it through completely, she stepped forward and cleared her throat, "Miss, twenty will be enough. You'll need the rest to make your way back to Boston."

Sho lost his smirk and his face became suffused with anger, but he held his tongue lest Kyoko wise up and leave him with the whole debt. Kyoko's golden eyes turned to the older lady and seemed to see her for the first time. When she saw the kindness in the beautiful lady's face, her own eyes softened slightly. "I won't be returning to Boston. There is nothing for me there now. I will make my way here in the west."

"HA!" Sho, feeling cheated out of the additional five dollars, put every ounce of scorn he could generate come through in his voice, "You, make your way here in the west? That's ridiculous! This is a _man's _world out here. You wouldn't have the first clue how to survive!"

Any softness in her eyes disappeared in an instant as Kyoko wheeled on the tall teenager, "I'll make it here, Shotaro! And I'll tell you what: I will do better than you ever have or could. You wait and see; in two years you'll be begging me to notice you!" She turned back to the beautiful hotel owner, "I take it that he owes this money to you?"

Aki was even more taken with the fire in this girl. She quirked her lips in a slight smile and nodded. Kyoko stepped up to her, "Then I'll place this money directly into your hands… it is far too much to risk in his."

The incensed boy began to bluster and protest, but Kyoko ignored him completely. Once the twenty precious dollars were in Aki Shoko's hands, she walked over to her belongings, gathered them in her arms, and walked out without a backwards glance.

Later, in the tiny room she had rented above a small restaurant, Kyoko's anger faded long enough for her to feel the pain and stab of Sho's betrayal. Rebellious tears came, and she wailed for hours until she fell into an exhausted sleep.


	3. A New Adventure

**Chase the Sun**

**Disclaimer:** I do not own SkipBeat or the story that this title makes allusion to. In the interest of creating a more western feel, some of the names of the main characters have been slightly altered.

**Chapter 3 – A New Adventure**

The three men sat in the lavishly decorated library of Lory Takarada's St. Louis mansion. One man, tall and mustachioed, was dressed in the campaign costume of Cortez the Conquistador. Usually he would have been the center of bemused or bewildered attention, but on this afternoon all eyes were fixed on the even taller man who held a small, rectangular object in his hand.

Ren Tsuruga glared balefully at the little dime novel as it seemed to scald his large hand. He looked from the offensive little book to the amused eyes of Lory Takarada. Then his eyes tracked over to the bright-eyed, overenthusiastic bespectacled man who sat expectantly on the edge of his seat. Ren wanted to strangle the man, but he seemed so earnest and so sincere that Ren could only sigh.

The title of the dime novel read _Shootout on the Missouri: The Amazing Tale of Two-Gun Tsuruga!_ He wanted to rip the book to shreds, toss the shreds into the fireplace and then spread the ashes in the middle of the Missouri River, but instead he gently set the book back on the table. "Umm… Mister…?"

The bespectacled man smiled excitedly, "Yashiro, Mr. Tsuruga, Yukihito Yashiro… my name is on the byline there at the bottom of the…" he leaned forward and pointed a thin finger down at the book, but something flashed in the tall westerner's eyes and Yukihito promptly sat back in his seat. He had written this novel without the permission of its protagonist. Many men wouldn't have minded, but he could sense frustration in this as-large-in-real-life man "… ummm… well… do you like it? I _tried _to make it as authentic as possible, but I did make a _few minor_ changes… for dramatic effect and all. I gave you two guns instead of one, because it makes the nickname possible… and I thought that it would be better if the gunfight took place on a riverboat, and…" Talking about the novella was enough to restore the man's good spirits and he gushed on for several minutes about Ren's fame… and how well the eastern readers had loved the story… and how they were clamoring for more… and how much they were going to love reading about this new adventure on the Oregon Trail… and how…

Ren sat up, startled, and met Lory's eyes. "What _adventure_ is he talking about, Boss?"

Lory sat back in his plush seat and continued to stroke his mustache, "That is why I sent for you, Ren. I've decided that it is high time that I move on. There just isn't any more adventure here in St. Louis other than the growing animosity between the free-staters and the slave-staters. I want open air and room to breathe again. I'm organizing a wagon train to head west. I've considered going all of the way to Oregon, but perhaps we'll turn south at the Colorado Territory. Anyway, you're going to be our guide."

"Colorado, hmmm? This wouldn't have anything to do with the gold that was discovered in Boulder Canyon, would it?"

Lory waved a dismissive hand, "Only in a general sense. I had my fun building my fortune here in St. Louis, but now that my wife had been gone for five years and my son has gone east to follow his own pursuits, I'm craving a new adventure. So why not start a new city somewhere out west?"

Yukihito looked amazed and starstruck as he gazed at the man who could so casually discuss leaving the empire he built behind in order to start all over again. Ren knew better than to scoff, because he knew perfectly well that Lory and his wife had led a wagon train to St. Louis many years before and had served a major role in equipping wagon trains, traders and trappers on their journey west for decades. This mansion was only one small testimony of their success. "Boss, that sounds like an interesting venture, but why did you want me to sign on as the guide? Surely there are more experienced men…"

"Don't sell yourself short, Ren. You have been trapping, hunting, and trading all of the way from here to the Oregon territory for the past five years. You speak English, French, Spanish, and several of the Indian languages. You know most of the other trappers and hunters and you have made many friends among the tribes. What more could I ask for?"

"I've never led a wagon train, Lory."

"Leading the train is my job. You'll be our scout. Besides, there has to be a first time for everything. If you don't know something, then find someone among my wagon train to learn from. You will also need to hire your own team or choose scouts from among those who have signed on. It is early March. The grass won't be up until later this month or early the next. If it rains like it did last year, then the trail might not be usable until late April. You also have another skill which will make a difference on this trip: you know cattle."

"Boss…" Ren growled, and Yukihito sensed that there was some sort of warning in this one word.

"Relax, Ren. My plan is simple: With the boom in Boulder Canyon, and the growth in Oregon, there is almost certainly a great need for cattle. Therefore I've procured some of the finest and sturdiest breeding stock that I could find, and I've hired three brothers to supervise the herding. But you understand the trail, so you can prepare them and help to ensure minimum losses. Oh! By the way, we'll also be joined by a favorite doctor friend of yours."

Ren groaned, "You signed Kijima on for this trip? You'd better hide the whiskey and the women, Boss."

"Kijima! As in Doctor Hidehito Kijima? The famous gunfighting doctor?" Yukihito was on the edge of his seat again in his excitement.

Lory chuckled, while Ren replied in a monotone voice, "You really have read all of those dime novels, haven't you? You should never believe what you read, Mr. Yashiro; especially when the person writes his own story." Ren was being unfair and he knew it. Dr. Kijima was a good friend who had accompanied him on two hunting trips deep into the Rockies. On one occasion it was only their combined skills with their rifles that kept them from losing their scalps to a large band of Blackfoot. And yet he was also famous for both his drinking and for chasing every beautiful woman who happened to glance his way.

The discussion continued for several more hours as the two men went over a thousand details. Yukihito Yashiro sat in rapt fascination as these two rough and ready men discussed an adventure far beyond his own experience. He was glad that he was going along. It would give real flavor and authenticity to his next novella… but he was beginning to feel concerned about all of the dangers that they discussed so casually.

**oOoOOoOo**

After the last pan had been scrubbed and the last dishtowel had been scalded, Kyoko peeled off her apron and stepped out into the late-evening sun. She pulled out the flyer that she always carried folded in her pocket now and re-read it, as if to glean even one more important detail.

She had been both surprised and grateful when the restaurant owners who rented her a room also offered her a job. She had walked down the morning after her arrival and subsequent confrontation with Sho only to find the stern-faced owner standing at the bottom of the stairs waiting for her. In one hand he held a bucket, and in the other he had held an apron.

"You'll be needing a job," he said in his brusque manner, "We can't pay you much, but it will cover room and board, plus enough to save or spend at the end of the month… whichever you prefer."

Kyoko took the proffered apron and bucket with thanks, but he had already turned away. If she hadn't worked for the Fuwas, she might have been hurt or offended. But she knew that there was a kind heart buried under the man's stern, forbidding exterior. For the next several days she assuaged her heartbreak and disappointments through hard work. The couple was obviously impressed with both her work-ethic and her knowledge of what needed to be done. Then one day, when the assistant cook didn't show up for work, she stepped into the kitchen and made an even better impression. Within a week she was a permanent and valuable fixture both in the kitchen and on the floor.

It was her waitressing duties that first brought her to the attention of three young men who traipsed in one day in a cloud of dust and a lot of laughter. The three boys were brothers… or at least they called themselves brothers. In reality all three had grown up in the Ishibashi Orphanage somewhere in Ohio Kyoko still hadn't gotten her hands on a map, but she knew that Ohio was North of St. Louis. This particular orphanage was run by a couple who believed that the best thing that they could do for the orphans would be to teach them trades. Consequently, the three young boys had learned everything there was to know about cattle. Those skills had led them to St. Louis, where a new opportunity was waiting for them. They all chose to take on the last name of Ishibashi and stick together.

The three young men took to Kyoko right away. One in particular, the oldest, seemed even more interested than the other two. While Yuusei and Shinichi liked to play pranks and flirt, Hikaru couldn't seem to keep his eyes off of the girl. They had begun to visit the restaurant every day. On one such occasion Hikaru explained all about their presence in St. Louis, and told her about the wagon train that would depart as soon as the grass was up on the Great Plains. He even had a flier in his pocket which he handed to Kyoko.

It read: _**WANTED: Men and Women who are ambitious, adventurous, brave, and not afraid of hard work to join the Great 1859 Wagon Train to Colorado, Wyoming, and the newly accepted State of Oregon! Come with us west and start a new life, help build a nation, and realize your ambitions. We will be led by the famous hunter, trapper, and trailsman Ren Tsuruga. He has ridden the trails from here to Oregon, as far south as California and as far north as the British trading posts. We seek tradespeople, merchants, doctors, lawyers, miners, farmers, and many others. Chase the Sun with us into a brighter future! To learn more, meet with Lory Takarada at Number 3, Cass Avenue. The weak of heart need not apply.**_

Kyoko was fascinated. She had asked a thousand questions and now she was ready to do more. St. Louis was stifling to her because Sho was there, but the western territory was wide open and ready for those who knew how to work. She could barely contain her excitement. Only two things dampened her excitement: The name of Ren Tsuruga and the projected expense.

Ever since hearing the name and the particulars discussed by the two old men on the train platform, Kyoko had feared to meet this hardened killer who gleefully shot down men without remorse. She imagined him as a man like the two filthy men who had accosted her on the platform, before the tall, almost beautiful, but terribly rude younger man rescued them. They had worn guns slung low on their hips and seemed like the type who would spare no tears for any man gunned down. As she recalled, the tall man had a weapon too… a very large, black revolver that he handled with ease and confidence. She remembered the cold anger in the man's pretty blue eyes… Kyoko shook her head to dispel her ridiculous thoughts. She would never allow any man near her again; would never allow her heart to care again; would never allow herself to be fooled and used due to false feelings of love!

Several passers-by felt an eerie, cold anger emanating from the side-porch of the restaurant and they chose to walk across the street before continuing their journeys. Kyoko shook herself again and reasserted her control. Her hand wandered to her neck, where a little cloth bag and the weight of its contents comforted her. _I shouldn't waste my time thinking about such ridiculous thoughts when I have to find a way to make so much money!_

Money was the second and the most pressing problem. The wagon train would depart as soon as "the grass was up," as the Ishibashis had explained to her, and she needed more money than she could possibly earn if she hoped to join that train. Thankfully Hikaru had offered another suggestion: go and speak with Lory Takarada, the organizer and leader of the wagon train. He might have a job for her that would allow her to work her way along the trail. Hikaru explained that he and his brothers were also unable to afford the $500-$1,000 that it would cost to properly outfit a wagon for such a trip. Instead they had hired on to drive Takarada's cattle. In return their journey was paid for. Couldn't Kyoko do the same?

Kyoko was resolve that tomorrow, on her day off, she would walk into the establishment at Number 3, Cass Avenue, and she would do her best to make a good impression!

**oOoOOoOo**

Kyoko looked with trepidation at Number 3, Cass Avenue. She had expected an office of some sort; possibly a warehouse. She certainly hadn't expected to be standing in front of the most ornate, lavish, and loudly colored mansion in St. Louis. She had seen many, many mansions in Boston, but none as… daunting as this one. It stood four stories tall, with columns and balustrades, huge windows and gargoyles all along the roofs. There were gables and dormers and even a tower on one side. The porch alone was built entirely out of slabs of marble. Not even the Fuwa's hotel had been so lavish!

"Are you just going to stand there in front of the gate?" an irritated young woman's voice growled behind her.

Kyoko jumped slightly, and then turned to encounter a vision of beauty, despite her angry expression and those haughty violet eyes. The girl was slightly taller than her, with raven black hair and milky-white skin. Her perfectly sculpted eyebrows followed her angular-but-soft facial structure and only served to highlight her beauty.

The girl, losing patience, spoke again, "Are you mute, or just stupid? Allow me to reiterate: you are standing in front of the gate through which I need to pass. Will you please step aside!"

Kyoko made a startled "eeep!" sound and stepped aside, hastily apologizing and bowing respectfully. The disgruntled girl "hmmphed" and passed through without a backward glance. _She is sooo beautiful! I bet that she is a rich young lady and that this is her place! Does that mean that she will be going on the journey too? Impossible! A rich-young-heiress wouldn't ever leave the comforts of home and high-society to go west into unsettled territory. She's like a princess! Why, if I…_

"Excuse me, Miss… but you've been standing here for quite some time. Is it your intention to come inside?" Kyoko met the eyes of a handsome older man in a butler's uniform. His eyes held none of the disdain of the young lady. Instead he seemed amused under his stoic demeanor.

"Is… Is this the establishment of Lory Takarada, the leader of the wagon train that will be going west?" Kyoko resumed her erect posture and tried appear like she was meant to be in such elegant surroundings.

"It is, and the Master has been waiting for you." The man swung the gate open and stood to the side, his free hand outstretched to tell Kyoko to pass.

Kyoko thought that the man must be mistaken about the "Master" waiting for her, but she saw an opening and she wasn't willing to give it up. "Thank you… ummm, may I ask your name?"

The man seemed surprised for a millisecond before his face fell back into an expressionless statue. "My name is Sebastian, Ma'am."

Kyoko allowed herself to be guided into the mansion and along the richly decorated corridors until she arrived at a large sitting room. She was startled to find that the room was lined with chairs and that most of them were occupied by other young ladies and men, along with a smattering of older people. What startled her most was that the beautiful young lady she met outside at the gate was sitting and waiting as well.

She smiled at the girl, but the smile was not returned. Then she decided to take a seat, but just as she bent her knees to sit, the double doors across the room burst open. A tall, mustachioed man in his fifties, dressed in the admiral's uniform of the British Naval Service, burst through the door and walked confidently into the room. "Welcome, everyone, and I hope that you are prepared for my majestic enterprise!"

* * *

><p><strong>Notes:<strong> That's all for the night.

I've been asked to clarify the timeframe, so here it is: The year is 1859. The railroad reached St. Louis in 1857. Gold was discovered in Boulder Canyon of the Colorado Territory in February. Despite the distance and the dangers, word made it all of the way to the East coast in three weeks. Missouri at this time is a hotbed for westward-bound people, but it is also seething with North/South tensions. The war will not begin until 1861, but the Missouri territory has been in the center of slaver/anti-slavery debate for over four decades. Later in the year, John Brown will be captured and hanged in Harper's Ferry for inciting riots concerning the issue.

Although the coming conflict will not be a major theme in this story, the north/south issue will rear its ugly heard in the form of a well-known character from SkipBeat!

I was also asked to help promote the following challenge

Drunken Ren Challenge:

1. It has to be Ren or Kuon, not Cain, BJ, Katsuki, or anyone of his other  
>characters.<br>2. Someone has to be embarrassed by something Ren has done. It could be  
>himself or someone else.<br>3. You have to state the consequences of his drunken stupor in the story. No  
>getting him drunk, kissing Kyoko and not stating what happened after.<br>4. Try and keep it IC. Considering we have only seen Ren in an angry drinking  
>binge, so allowances are to be expected.<p> 


	4. If at first you don't succeed…

**Chase the Sun**

**Disclaimer:** I do not own SkipBeat or the story that this title makes allusion to. In the interest of creating a more western feel, some of the names of the main characters have been slightly altered.

**Chapter 4 – If at first you don't succeed…**

Ren leaned his head back in the Victorian-style chair, his legs stretched out to rest on the bed in front of him, and tried once again to push away the memories of his past. When he was on the trail he could ride, hunt, or work himself to exhaustion, but here in the city it was different. St. Louis was nothing like New York City, but it was a city nonetheless, and the sights, sounds, and smells were bringing back his past like a flood.

Even thinking about the word "flood" brought on a remembrance of water and how it had changed his life forever. Ren shook his head with ironic disgust. Unbidden and unwelcome, the sounds of rushing water and shouting voices played through his head. Once again the taste of the river flooded his taste buds and he remembered the panic of almost drowning. He remembered Rick jumping in to save him… and he remembered waking to find himself safe and sound… and Rick gone.

Ren jumped up out of his chair, knocking it backwards so that it fell heavily on the wooden floor. He didn't pick it up this time. Instead he stormed out of the room and down the corridor of the huge mansion. Several of the staff nodded or bowed, but he didn't notice them as he turned to thunder down the stairs. He wanted to simply walk out, but courtesy demanded that he take his leave of his host, so he turned toward the large sitting room. Without forethought he opened the door swiftly, almost knocking over a young lady who had been standing near the door.

He reached out apologetically to steady her and was met with startled golden eyes. Finally aware of his surroundings, he looked past the girl to see the room filled with people. Then his head turned to find Lory Takarada observing him with a raised eyebrow. Lory's amused eyes moved toward the girl. Only then did Ren realize that he was still holding the startled girl by the waist. He quickly apologized again, this time letting go of the girl whose face was red. "Boss, I'm going to ride out for a spell. It's too claustrophobic here in town. I'll be back in three days.

Lory sighed, but only nodded. After Ren had fled the room, Lory scanned the applicants. In every venture there were those who had money but could offer little else and those who had much to offer but little or no money. The secret to a successful venture was to find the best of each type and build a harmonious group. He had other plans too. Bricks, boards, mortar and nails were not all that was needed to build a town; families were needed as well. Some of the applicants were bringing family along, but the majority were single… and in need of a mate.

Lory smiled inside at this golden opportunity to see romance in action. Handsome young men, beautiful young women, the great outdoors and moonlit nights… what could be a better recipe for romance and marriage? And best of all, he would be there to see it all! With that thought in mind, his eyes caught the golden eyes of the girl who had just been the victim of Ren's precipitous rush. Ahhh! He smiled as he recognized her as the girl at the train station… the one who had attracted Ren's attention once before. Was it coincidence or was fate playing a hand? _That boy could use a little romance in his life. He's been too long hiding from his past on the trail. Enough of that for now. Business first, fun later._

"Good afternoon everyone, as I was saying, welcome. I will see you each individually as quickly as I can, so please be patient. My man-of-all-things will step in and call your name out one-by-one. Thank you."

**oOoOOoOo**

Maria paced back-and-forth in her grandfather's ornate garden, fuming and hurt and feeling helpless to change anything. _My father doesn't care about me and he locks me away in some boarding school, and now Grandfather too! I thought that he sent for me because he loved me and wanted me close, but instead he just wanted to say a final goodbye before heading off on some adventure out west!_

Maria's early childhood had been wonderful. She had lived her first five years with a handsome, successful father and a beautiful, loving mother in their perfect mansion in the middle of St. Louis. Grandfather and Grandmother, until she died, lived just down the block and she would see them almost every day. Then Grandmother had passed away when Maria was three. That had been difficult, but even more difficult was when father's business dealings led to him and mother spending more and more time away. Maria's mother was stunningly beautiful and she was an expert at playing a gracious hostess, so her presence was in-demand among the wealthiest people in the East. She would pave the way with her talents and her husband, Maria's father, would then move in for the kill, sealing lucrative business deals over and over again.

Poor little Maria, left only with Grandfather, tried to be good, but she was often quite lonely. So when her mother asked if Maria wanted anything special for her birthday, all that Maria asked for was her mother; little did she know that she was signing her mother's death warrant. The train system was growing rapidly in the East, but there were still many mistakes being made. One improperly secured rail among miles and miles of track resulted in a derailment which cost forty-three lives… and Maria's mother was among them.

Father returned for the funeral. He spoke with Maria and comforted her in a stiff, perfunctory manner; but his eyes were cold and his manner was distant. Maria knew that her father blamed her and she knew that others blamed her as well. She had heard their cruel, accusing whispers. It was almost more than her tender heart could handle.

Within a week he was gone, leaving Maria with Grandfather once again until the day that she grew old enough to be sent to boarding school. For the past year she had languished there until notice came that her grandfather had sent for her. She knew that Grandfather still loved her and she had hoped that he would keep her with him. Instead he had only brought her here because he would be heading west, far away and out of contact; possibly for years; possibly forever. And little Maria was furious with the world.

Inside, right at this very moment, was a large group of people who would go with her grandfather. _They_ would be with him for the journey. _They_ would help him build a new city. _They _would see him every day while _she_ would be locked away in a boarding school with teachers and girls whom she hated and who hated her! And he was taking _her _REN TOO!

Ren Tsuruga had been one of the few people who really understood her, though he had lied to her about something important. He was kind and wonderful to her… and he was also the most handsome man she had ever known. If Grandfather dragged him off to the west she might never see him. And if one of those women in her grandfather's sitting room got her claws into Ren, then he might marry before she had the chance to grow up enough to marry him herself!

Maria kicked furiously at the ground, disturbing the rich soil and revealing a large, wriggling earth worm. She stared at it for a moment before her fierce scowl transformed into a wicked grin.

**oOoOOoOo**

"Hi, I'm so glad to see you again! My name is…" Kyoko had seated herself next to the girl at the gate, glad of a familiar face, even if their encounter had only lasted a moment.

"I don't care," The girl interrupted stiffly.

Kyoko might normally have been daunted, but her nervousness was almost overpowering her and she was enchanted with this girl's princess-like beauty. She also felt enormously pleased to discover that this girl was not the rich young lady of the house, but another supplicant like herself. "I thought for certain that you were the lady of the house, you're so beautiful, but I'm even happier to know that you'll be going on the journey along with me! Think of the advent…"

"MO! Are you done yet!" The angry girl interrupted again, then she dropped her voice into a fierce whisper, "Look around you! Can you see the number of men and women who _don't_ have enough money and who can only go if_ that weird man_ hires them on! Wake up and smell the sawdust, girl! There are more people then there are jobs; which means that some of _you_ won't be going. So kindly stop talking and _leave me alone!_"

While Kyoko noted how truly beautiful the girl's angry sapphire eyes were, she also scanned the room and realized what the girl was saying was true: there were more applicants than possible openings. For a moment her heart sank, but then she straightened her back and fixed her expression. It didn't matter how many people there were… she would be one of the chosen.

"Ahhhhhh! Get it off me!" A shrill woman's voice exclaimed. The woman, a fancily dressed society lady from her appearance, jumped up and patted frantically at her hair. As she rushed out of the sitting area towards the front entrance, Kyoko saw a centipede fall to the floor. Suddenly another, and then another jumped up and repeated the actions of the first. There were beetles, lizards, centipedes, and even earthworms sprouting out of women's hair throughout the large room. Kyoko followed the progress and caught the blur of a small girl in a pretty pink dress as she moved quickly, hand dipping in and out of a small covered basket.

Then the girl's progress was arrested as she came face-to-knees with the tall older man from before. The very pretty, doll-like girl looked up with chagrin at the man and tried to grin as she said, "Grandfather?"

**oOoOOoOo**

It was another forty-five minutes before Kyoko's name was called. Prior to the incident with the insects the tall, distinguished-looking man had been attending each interview. Due to his need to deal with his granddaughter he was now absent from the interviews, leaving three very somber looking men who were acting as his lieutenants. They were good men who had built their own fortunes under Lory Takarada, and thus cared deeply for the man. They knew his propensity for charity and his tendency to respond to sob stories, so they saw his absence as an opportunity to weed out less desirable candidates. Unfortunately good intentions do not always equate to wisdom.

Kyoko took her seat in front of the three expressionless men. She was wearing her best dress and her posture was perfect, but it took every ounce of control she possessed not to fidget. "Hello, my name is Kyoko Mogami. I recently relocated her from Boston, where I worked as a…"

"How much money have you saved for this trip, Miss Mogami?" One man interrupted. He had a narrow face and hard eyes and he could have been any businessman in Boston, except for his long hair that was currently tied into a ponytail in the back.

Kyoko felt desperation choking at her throat as she saw the disapproval in each face. "I… I have fifteen dollars saved… but I have other skills! I am a trained…"

"Do you understand that food alone for a single person can cost as much as $250 on a journey such as this? Surely you weren't expecting Mr. Takarada to absorb your entire bill?" This man was thickset and his cheeks grew rosy as he scorned her.

"No! I mean… well, what I _hoped _to do was wor…"

"You look skinny. A journey of this distance, across open ground and amidst countless dangers requires men and women who are sturdy and who won't die or quit as soon as things become a little rough," the third man, a swarthy, curly-headed man scoffed. "We're not contemplating a ladies society meeting here."

Kyoko had tried to keep her cool, but this last statement was too much. These men were scorning her in the same way that Shotaro had just two weeks ago. She rose from her seat with great dignity and her anger swirled like little demons around the three men, charging at them and strangling them as she spoke, "I have never quit and I will never quit, _gentlemen._" The last word was spat out like a poison. "I can see that I am wasting my time attempting to get anywhere talking with you. I will take my leave now… Good day!"

The men weren't able to breathe again until the frightening young lady was out of the door. They stared at each other in consternation, but they were each men of logic, so they promptly shook the incident off as a figment of their imagination. Still, they were glad that this young woman wouldn't be on the wagon train. The next person to be called in was another penniless young lady who they quickly dismissed, even though she was also quite beautiful. She was also angry, but her anger didn't have quite the same impact.

Kyoko stormed out of the room, through the sitting room, and through the mansion. In her rush and anger she failed to make the correct turn. She ended up exiting into an elaborately manicured garden, where the sound of crying broke through Kyoko's stormy anger. The sound of sobbing shook her because she could feel her own tears climbing close to the surface. With fierce determination she pushed the tears down, setting her face and scanning the garden for the source of the cries. Her eyes found the little strawberry-blond haired girl from the sitting room, hunched behind bushes.

Maria had begged and begged, but her grandfather would not relent. He would not take her along no matter how much she pleaded. Soon the grass would be up, the wagon train would be ready to depart, and she would be put back on a train to be hidden away and forgotten in a horrible boarding school. It wasn't fair!

Maria sensed a presence in front of her and looked up to see a pretty young society lady standing there. She was about to snap at the girl for invading her privacy when her eyes met the most startling golden eyes she had ever seen before. The young lady gently-but-firmly grasped both of Maria's shoulders and said, "Tears are for weaklings. If we women want to get anywhere in this _man's world_," she said the last two words with deep scorn, "then we have to make our own destiny, little girl." The young lady jerked her head in a nod, as if agreeing with herself, "We have to decide what we want and we have to _make_ it happen, because nobody else will do it for us. Do you understand?"

Maria felt a new wave of power rush through her little body as she embraced this young lady's words. Her eyes took on the same determined, fierce look and she jerked her own head in a nod of acknowledgment.

Kyoko stood up, smoothed her dress, and nodded again. "Good." And with that she walked out of the garden and down the street, with a straight back and a fixed expression.

Maria wiped her tears and gazed after her. When the odd young lady with the golden eyes was out of sight, Maria began formulating a plan.

**oOoOOoOo**

Despite Kyoko's words, which were actually meant more for herself, her spirits were dragging by the time that she reached the restaurant. The restaurant couple looked up as she entered, a question in their eyes. She shook her head sadly and made her way up the stairs to her little room. For an indeterminate amount of time she stared off into nothingness, but then her eyes saw Sho's crumpled letter sitting on the nightstand. Despite her rage she had not been able to destroy or dispose of it. The letter had been the promise of hope, or love, and of a bright future for her.

Now everything had crumbled into ruins. When she saw the letter, her spirit broke and the tears began to fall.

**oOoOOoOo**

Lory Takarada took another drink of brandy before finally getting up from his plush chair and heading for the interview room. It broke his heart to deny Maria anything, just as much as it broke his heart to leave her behind. He had argued with, pushed, and even threatened his son to become more involved with Maria's life, but the man was still too wrapped up in his own grief. Maria had been left entirely in Lory's care. He loved her dearly, but he had sent her to boarding school in the hope that placing Maria so close would inspire his father to go and visit. It hadn't worked.

Lory _could_ take Maria with him, but that would only put further distance between father and daughter. What was the right thing to do?

He walked through the sitting area, chagrinned to discover that so many of the applicants had already been interviewed. Lory preferred to keep his hand in the choosing and now he felt as if he had neglected an important duty. Sighing, he stepped into the interview room, stepping aside to make room for a disgruntled looking older man who stomped out of the room past him without a glance. Lory frowned. "How have the interviews been going?"

The three men tensed, but the man with the ponytail, Matsushima, answered, "It has gone well. We have weeded out the hangers-on and we're down to a promising few.

Lory walked forward and picked up the list. As he scanned the names he was alarmed to see how many rejections there were. His mind tried to place names with faces, but there were a few enigmas. He remembered the young lady who Ren had saved from falling, "What about the golden-eyed girl? What was her name?"

He saw the three men exchange guilty, almost alarmed looks. This time it was the curly-haired Sawara who spoke up, "Her name was Kyoko Mogami. She was unacceptable."

"And why is that?" Lory asked with a raised eyebrow.

"Because she has no money. Fifteen dollars and the clothing on her back."

Lory replaced the list on the table slowly, his eyes scanning the three men, "Gentlemen, I don't seem to have made myself clear. I am not only looking for men and women with money. I am looking for men and women with a determination to give their all, their everything, to make a better life for themselves and for those they care about. Money is nice, but energy, enthusiasm, and tenacity are what will help us to cross this continent, establish a new town, and make it into something great. Am I making myself clear?"

All three men gulped and nodded. Sawara was the first to say, "Should I go and bring her back then, Mr. Takarada?"

"Yes!" Lory barked. Sawara quickly rose and headed for the door, but then Lory raised a hand and said, "Wait… unless I read her wrong, that wasn't the type of girl who will give in and lay down to die. Let's wait and see if she will come back on her own. If she doesn't, then maybe you were right. But when she _does_ come back… and trust me, she will… then you gentlemen will each owe me a drink."

**oOoOOoOo**

Kyoko came down the stairs on the following morning, tying her apron as she walked. Her face was pale, her eyes bloodshot, and her normal fire was absent. The pleasantly plump proprietress attempted to comfort the girl, but she only responded with polite dismissals.

They were both startled when an iron skillet slammed down on the stove. Both turned to regard the owner and cook. He scowled at Kyoko, "I guess that I've read you all wrong. You impressed me as the type of person who would never back down, never quit, and never say die. But look at you now," he sneered, ignoring his wife's alarmed hand waves, "You can help on the floor. I don't think you have what it takes to be in the kitchen."

The proprietress was mortified, but Kyoko only stood there meeting the man's glare. Then, abruptly, she turned on her heels and headed back up the stairs. The cook was unwavering as his wife scolded him for his harsh words. Then they both heard footsteps coming down the stairs and turned to see Kyoko moving swiftly in her cooking clothes. There was a renewed fire in her eyes, "Sir, I'm going to need to borrow your cooking wagon, if I may?" Her voice held supplication, but her eyes showed determination.

"Go. Keep it as long as necessary. Don't quit until they change their mind. You may take supplies from here if you need them." Wife looked at husband. It was almost the most words she had heard him speak in succession for years.

Kyoko shook her head. "I have money. I will pay for everything I take and I will not give up until my last penny is spent. I _will_ be on that wagon train."

The proprietress watched Kyoko walked out and gave her husband a worried frown. "Husband, is it really wise for her to spend all of her money like that?"

For the first time in years, the cook smiled.

* * *

><p><strong>Notes:<strong> By now you can probably tell that I am using much of the plotline of the original story. I thought it would be fun to reinterpret the story from an AU western perspective. I hope that you don't mind. Don't worry, the actual story will begin soon.

Thank you to everyone who has been so encouraging thus far.


	5. Persistency

**Chase the Sun**

**Disclaimer:** I do not own SkipBeat or the story that this title makes allusion to. In the interest of creating a more western feel, some of the names of the main characters have been slightly altered.

**Chapter 5 – Haunting Golden Eyes**

Ren sat in an odd position and studied the horizon sightlessly for an indeterminate amount of time. His mind kept going back to the warm, soft feel of a slender, womanly back, haunting golden eyes, and a sweet pixie face. He gritted his teeth and tried to think of anything else until the smell of burnt meat shocked him out of his stupor and brought him back to reality. He looked over at the camp fire and the spitted meat suspended above the flames. Grunting in frustration, he reached out to turn the stick. His right leg, which had been bent in an unnatural position, protested this new pressure. He leaned back to stretch his leg out, but it jerked involuntarily, knocking out the support for the stick and sending the already scorched meat into the fire.

Ren cursed under his breath and quickly grabbed the stick, burning his fingers in the process. "I'm not eating that," a cajoling voice above him protested.

Ren turned his head to look up at Yukihito Yashiro, who was seated uncomfortably on a roan mare and he glared, but the voice belonged to the other man on the big, black stallion. Doctor Hidehito Kijima shook his head, "Ren, you still can't cook to save your life. That piece of meat would have cost you top-dollar in any restaurant back east."

"They can have it," Ren muttered before tossing the travesty back into the fire. "How was hunting?"

The handsome doctor smiled and turned his mount side-on so that Ren could see the antelope carcass tied across the horse's flanks. "One shot, right through the heart. The buffalo have thinned, but there is still plenty of game out there."

Ren's eyes searched Yashiro's horse and silently noted the absence of any game. Yashiro looked sheepish, but Kijima only smiled. He found it extremely amusing that his tall friend, who never shared anything about his past and very little about his present, should be shadowed by this overenthusiastic dime-novelist. He himself had become the fodder for more than one dime novel, but he didn't mind, since it did seem to increase his allure with the ladies… and wasn't that what life was all about?

"Let's hope that you're right about the game. A long winter sometimes promises a dry, hot summer. It will be tough to take a wagon train of 500 people across the plains and the mountains if game dries up as well," Ren looked off at a darkening cloud to the west.

Kijima climbed off of his horse and began the process of untying the carcass, "Frankly, I'm surprised that you took this job. You could probably make your fortune alone much easier by hightailing it over to Colorado before all of the gold dries up."

Ren shook his head in disgust, "If it was so easy, everyone who went to California would be rich by now. Instead most of them just ended up with bad backs and big debts. No, I'll earn my fortune by the sweat of my brow and by hard work. Let other men gamble."

Kijima gave Yashiro a conspiratorial wink, "Course, if you aren't afraid of hard work, then you should settle down on a spread, find yourself a pretty young woman, and raise a crop of horses and a crop of children. There appeared to be several young ladies who would fit the bill in Lory's sitting parlor on the day we left."

Ren glared at the man as those golden eyes filled his memory again. He stood and threw the empty stick into the fire, "You can cook dinner. I'm going for a ride."

Yashiro frowned as he watched the man go. He wanted to tag along, but he was already too saddle-sore. Besides, in two days he hadn't gleaned one bit of information from the man about his past or about his plans. Were it not for people like Doctor Kijima he wouldn't have anything to write about Ren Tsuruga at all.

"Climb on down, Mr. Novellist, and I'll show you how to butcher an antelope." Yashiro felt his stomach lurch, but he climbed painfully down anyway. _You wanted the western experience, Yukihito, and now you've got it._

**oOoOOoOo**

Maria watched with fascinated interest as she saw the golden-eyed girl from the garden cooking another fancy meal on the chuckwagon in front of the Takarada mansion in the middle of one of the most prestigious neighborhoods in St. Louis. The constable could be seen leaning against the side of the wagon, talking casually with the girl, who never once slowed down in her cooking. He was clearly enamored, but she never seemed to return anything but friendship.

Maria knew that the constable had responded to complaints from the neighbors two days ago, but her grandfather had sent Sebastian out with a private note to let the girl alone. She also knew that Grandfather was almost certainly observing her from another window right at this very moment, waiting to see if three days of non-responsiveness would lessen the girl's determination. There was no evidence of any lack of enthusiasm now as she completed her plating for seven, nodded to the constable, and wheeled her cart through the gate and towards the mansion steps.

For three days, beginning with breakfast on the day after the interviews, the girl with the golden eyes had taken her stand in front of the gate and prepared her meals. Using only the equipment available in a standard chuck wagon she had created masterpieces of culinary excellence. The chef had been livid, the maids offended, the neighbors in an uproar, but the girl had never once wavered. Each mealtime she had wheeled her cart up the walkway and left her offering at the front door, based upon how many people were inside.

On an impulse, Maria left her window and raced out of the room and down the stairs. She was only a step behind Sebastian as he stepped up to open the door, and she immediately rushed out to greet the girl. "What is your name, Big Sister?"

Kyoko looked down at the little girl in surprise, "Big Sister?"

"Yep," Maria replied, ignoring all of her grammar training, "I like you. We understand each other. Therefore _you_ are my Big Sister." She made the statement as a royal pronouncement without allowing any doubt that it would be so.

Kyoko had never had a sister of any kind and her heart warmed to the little girl's affectionate gaze, "I am Kyoko, and I am pleased to meet you, Little Sister."

"Oh, you can call me Maria. This is my grandfather's house. I've watched you for three days and I don't think you know how to give up. I'm sure that Grandfather will see that, even if he _is_ being stubborn."

"Stubborn, am I?" Lory asked from behind her in mock-indignation. "Why, I thought that I was only allowing this young lady to prove her merit and determination. After all, tenacity and determination are what will make our wagon train successful. Young lady, why don't you allow Sebastian and the cook to take care of your cart while you come with me?"

Kyoko felt her heart race, but she kept her composure and followed the man; but not before receiving a conspiratorial wink from the little doll-like girl whose name was Maria. The odd man was wearing the full uniform of a roman general, such as Kyoko had only seen in an illustrated book on the Roman Empire. He even had a short, thick sword strapped to his side. Kyoko had to studiously watch the man's armored back, since his still-muscular legs were actually exposed from mid-thigh down until covered by leather shin-guards. She might have been offended by his self-exposure, but she knew that the uniform was authentic in every detail.

This time, instead of the sitting parlor, she was led into a large office that looked somewhat like a museum. Swords, costumes, and uniforms were hung on every wall and there was even a full suit of armor standing beside the desk. The tall man motioned for her to take a seat while he took his seat behind the large wooden desk. "You are clearly a lady of great determination Miss…?"

"Mogami, Sir. Kyoko Mogami."

"Well then, Ms. Mogami, I see that you are a highly talented cook. I have a cook, but he will require a great deal of assistance if we are to keep 500 fed throughout this long journey. From what I've seen I must assume that you were trained on proper cooking techniques as well as the most current sanitary practices?"

"Yes Sir, at one of the finest hotel restaurants in Boston."

"Very well then, the post is yours," Lory smiled at her brilliant grin of excitement, "With your cooking skills you will make someone a wonderful wife someday."

The room suddenly felt chilled and something dark seemed to fill the room. Lory met Kyoko's eyes and noted that the brilliancy was gone. "I will not be marrying, Sir," Kyoko replied in a monotone. "Things like love and marriage are not in my future."

Lory felt the sadness behind those words and he schooled his expression to hide his disappointment, "Very well. I won't push you in that direction; but we will speak of this again at a later date. For now I will have you meet with Cookie and let you two get to know each other."

"Now, I have another question: my assistants were a little too enthusiastic in rejecting people. Of those who didn't get a job, do you know of any who I should reconsider?"

Kyoko nodded enthusiastically and stood. "I know of one girl that you should definitely speak with, Sir."

**oOoOOoOo**

Kanae Kotonomi steeled herself as she turned the corner onto Cass Avenue once _again_. As she had expected, the chuck wagon was still parked in front of the gate. As much as the other girl irritated Kanae, she had to admire her determination. Kanae was jealous that the girl Kyoko had a skill which allowed her to display her talents in such a manner. Kanae was confident of her own skills, but her only hope was to get inside of the mansion and meet with Lory Takarada personally… as if that would ever happen.

Every day for three days Kanae had walked the two miles from her family hovel to this street, hoping for some break that would allow her to pass through the gate and meet the man. She needed to… no, she _had_ to gain acceptance onto that wagon train or she would go mad. More specifically, her family would drive her mad. The Kotonomis were once a successful, proud family, but the only gift that they seemed to have now was the ability to make babies… many babies… and Kanae couldn't stand it anymore. She craved wide open spaces as far away from little children as possible.

That wasn't all. Kanae wanted to prove to the world that the name Kotonami was a name to be recognized and accorded respect once again. The west offered her an opportunity to do just that. Anyone with ambition and determination could make their name and fortune and Kanae was convinced that she could do just that. And so she passed by the mansion each day… and by the chuckwagon.

Despite her intention of ignoring the golden-eyed girl with her wealth of enthusiasm, Kanae felt herself drawn in. Kyoko insisted that they should be friends and she persisted, even though Kanae knew that she had been outright rude to the girl on most occasions. Added to that, Kyoko always seemed to have one extra plate of food set aside for Kanae… great food that smelled and looked so good that Kanae couldn't turn it away. Even now, as she approached that irritating eyesore of a chuck wagon, Kanae's mouth began to water. _I should strangle that girl! I've probably gained ten pounds in the past two days!_

"Excuse me, Miss Kotonami?" Kanae stopped and turned to find a familiar face standing on the sidewalk looking at her. She recognized him as Lory Takarada's man-servant.

She nodded, "Mr. Sebastian?"

"Just Sebastian, Ma'am," he corrected without a change of expression. "The Master will see you now."

Kanae was led along the same course that Kyoko had treaded earlier in the afternoon. As with Kyoko, she was greeted by the tall, eccentric man dressed in the guise of a roman general. She stared for a moment at the gold-embossed eagle on the man's metal breastplate before forcing her eyes to meet the man's gaze. He seemed to be peering straight into her soul. "Good afternoon, Miss Kotonami. I apologize for the mixup before. I wanted to take this opportunity to interview you myself. After all, you come very highly recommended."

Kanae frowned for a moment before schooling her expression. She couldn't understand how she could have been "highly recommended" when nobody she knew was aware of her decision to join the wagon train; certainly nobody in her family. She decided that this man was using a subterfuge to set her off-guard. Well, she would show him, "Thank you for seeing me, Sir. I was hoping for an opportunity to meet with you so that I could prove my abilities."

Lory arched an eyebrow, "And what abilities might those be? Kyoko Mogami has her skills with cooking. Your application suggests that you have an unusual memory?"

"May I borrow a book, sir? Something you know well, but that I couldn't possibly have read before?"

Lory studied her for a moment and then considered the books in his library. He was still deciding when his hand brushed the open book on his desk. Smiling, he closed it and extended it to her. She took it with a slight bow, opened it, and then looked back at him. "Are you sure that you want me to read this, Sir? It contains very personal information."

"I am sure," Lory replied confidently. It was his record book with every conceivable detail concerning the wagon train and each person in it. It contained lists of each wagon's provisions, each person's skills, and each person's financial situation… as observed through his own keen eyes. Kanae shrugged and then began reading very quickly through the pages. By the end she was practically flipping the pages. Lory watched in fascination and wondered where this demonstration was going. Then the girl closed the book and offered it back to Lory.

"It seems like you've assembled a promising group, Sir… but the Johanson's have nowhere near the provisions required for a family of seven. Their oldest girl has a lame leg, which will prevent her from contributing in many ways, but she is obviously good with children, so perhaps she can be tasked with watching the children of the mothers while they take care of chores. The next-oldest, Thomas, will undoubtedly be of use with the teams or scouting on a horse, since he has worked in a livery stable for the past four years and shows great skill. Doctor Kijima will be a great asset to the wagon train… providing that his additional medicinal supplies make it here before _we_ depart. I am glad to read that, although the man does like his drink, he never drinks while performing medicine… still, I would advise fathers to keep their daughters away from the man. This other man, Leopold Delaughter, should be watched carefully, since…"

Lory forestalled the young lady with a raised palm, "Thank you. I believe that I understand your skill. Quite remarkable, really. If you are willing, I could definitely use your talents on my wagon train. I have four wagons of my own, so you will be able to ride and bunk down in one of these… perhaps with Kyoko Mogami." He paused, but then something prompted him to test her in a different direction… perhaps it was the conclusion of his meeting with Kyoko. "That is, of course, unless you meet someone on the train who captures your heart. It wouldn't be the first time that a couple has married on the journey. Some have even started a family before reaching their destination."

Although there was none of the chilliness of his earlier encounter, he did see the hardness in the beautiful girl's sapphire eyes, "That won't be a problem, Mr. Takarada. I do not intend to become a _couple_ with any man, and I certainly have no intention of marrying or _ever_ having children." She delivered her last words with such intensity that Lory lost his blank expression. His eyes turned sad as he imagined these two odd girls throwing away any chance of love. What terrible events could have made them both so cold to the idea of love, marriage, and children?

Lory closed the interview and welcomed her aboard. From tomorrow until departure, Kanae would assist him in attending to the details of the train. After that… Lory began evolving a plan that would almost certainly lead these poor destitute girls to the discovery of love once again.

* * *

><p><strong>Notes: <strong>Don't worry, the journey will finally begin in the next chapter. Until then, thank you for all of your reviews, etc.


	6. Mean girls, malfunctions, and magic

**Chase the Sun**

**Disclaimer:** I do not own SkipBeat or the story that this title makes allusion to. In the interest of creating a more western feel, some of the names of the main characters have been slightly altered.

**Chapter 6 – Mean girls, malfunctions, and just a touch of magic**

"Be _careful_ with that, you ninny!" Ruriko Matsunai barked as Kyoko struggled to carry too many packages through the muddy streets. Kyoko gritted her teeth and bit back a retort. Only moments before, as they passed two handsome gentlemen, Ruriko had walked and spoken like a perfect lady. She resumed her nagging as soon as the men were safely out of earshot.

The days had stretched on since that afternoon when Lory Takarada had hired her on and offered her a berth on the wagon train. Since that day, nine days ago, she had been moved from one task to the next, all in preparation for departure. There were nearly five-hundred in the train now and the needs for equipment and supplies was neverending. Kyoko didn't mind. On most days she helped the cook, the doctor, the wagon-maker, and even the Ishibashis. She saw it all as a learning experience and didn't mind the long hours or the backbreaking work.

But today was different. Today Kyoko had been assigned to work with Ruriko Matsunai, the daughter of one of the men who had rejected Kyoko's application in such a preemptory manner. At first Kyoko had been enchanted by the rich young lady with her alabaster skin, her blue eyes, and her expensive dresses. Now, hours and hours later, Kyoko was only disgusted. Ruriko had been given the task of gathering the type of supplies which would be an aid and comfort to the ladies of the train during their… more delicate cycle. Instead, Ruriko was using the shopping trip for her own selfish ends. Her father usually kept her on a short leash. Even the servants who accompanied Ruriko were quick to report any indiscretions to him. Now she had someone with her who was not in the employ of her father and she was going to make the most of the opportunity.

Kyoko was struggling under dress boxes, hat boxes, shoe boxes and boxes of lady's undergarments. All of the items had been charged to her father's accounts, but Ruriko didn't care; she knew that they would be on the trail soon. It might take months, even years, before the bills caught up with them. Besides, it gave her an opportunity to torture this upstart girl who had _no business_ being taken on the wagon train. She had heard her father complaining about Lory Takarada's odd propensity for taking on unwanted company. She had also heard men speaking admiringly about the tenacity and determination with which this obnoxious girl wormed her way onto the roster. Ruriko didn't like to hear any other female praised and she certainly didn't like it when someone like _this_ was spoken of with such respect. Ruriko was determined she would break this girl and send her away crying.

Ruriko glared at the thick mud of the streets and back at Kyoko. Then she allowed herself an evil smile. She didn't dare make any more purchases, but her father _had_ promised her a new horse for the journey. The livery was over a half-mile away… which would be perfect. "Would you _hurry up_! I still have to go to the livery and choose my new mount. If we don't _hurry, _all of the best horses will be gone! Don't you _dare_ make me late!"

Kyoko glared at Ruriko through the tiny opening between two boxes, but she refused to let this girl have a victory. With teeth set in a grimace, she yanked her booted foot out of the almost knee-high mud and tried to take another step. Suddenly the boxes began to shift and she frantically twisted to keep them under control. Her left foot stepped forward, but her right foot was still buried deep in the much. Her twist and her awkward momentum caused her to overcompensate and suddenly her right ankle sent a surge of searing pain up her leg. She cried out in agony and the boxes toppled out of her arms, into the mud.

Ruriko cried out as well, running back to save her precious purchases and ignoring the girl who was now face-planted into the mud. "You… You… _clumsy, irresponsible, dunderheaded nincompoop! _How dare you…"

Ruriko stopped her diatribe when she saw the three gentlemen rushing toward her. Solicitously, hats in hand, they offered to help. She smiled sweetly, preening at the men, "Why, of course you may help. How kind and gentlemanly you all are!" She fluttered her eyelids at the three men as they rushed to retrieve her packages. Then, ignoring Kyoko altogether, she said, "If you'll just follow me? I have to go to the livery stable. It's a bit of a walk, but I'm just sure that three strong, handsome men like yourselves are more than capable of making such a journey easily." Again she fluttered her eyelashes.

To give him credit, one of the men queried, "What about your servant, Ma'am?"

"Oh, she'll be fine. She'll have to go home now and get herself cleaned up anyway. Follow me, gentlemen." And with those final words, she left poor Kyoko stranded in mud in the middle of the street.

**oOoOOoOo**

There was a _Click_, but no report… again. Ren sighed, Kijima chuckled, and Yukihito Yashiro only hung his head. "Yukihito, my boy," the doctor said, "I don't think that I've seen anything like it. I could count on one hand the number of times that I've seen a pistol jam, and I've _never_ seen a clean pistol that wouldn't fire. Yet you've managed to jam every weapon that you've touched. Why, I think that you could find a way to make a bow and arrow jam."

"Leave him be, Hidehito," Ren growled as he held out his hand for his revolver, "Not everyone is meant to be a pistolero like you." When Yashiro surrendered the weapon Ren carefully pointed the weapon down at the mud before clearing the jam. Then he extended his arm almost casually and fired six times, making a large hole in the painted center of the canvas target fifty feet away.

Yashiro grimaced again and sighed. Ren holstered his Colt and turned to the smaller man. "Look, I've run over a-hundred people through pistol and rifle training today and I only have ten more to go. I have to leave now and go to the livery stable before he sets in for the evening. If the good doctor will finish up here?" Dr. Kijima nodded and Ren looked at Yashiro again. "I'll work with you later. For now could you help the young lady?"

All three men looked back at the slender, beautiful figure who was cleaning up the empty cartridge tins on the trestle table. As Yashiro walked toward her, Kijima whistled softly, "I'd be _glad_ to help her too, Ren."

Ren shook his head and said, "Down, boy. From what I've seen, that girl will take you down and skin you alive before you even finish propositioning her. Besides, she's one of Takarada's new trainees and she is strictly off-limits."

The doctor frowned, "I'll admit, she's a fiery one, but I think that I could cool her down." When he saw that Ren was about to speak again, he said, "Don't worry; business before pleasure, old partner; I know! I know." Ren held the man's amused eyes for another moment before heading off towards his horse.

Yashiro felt shamefaced as he approached the beautiful girl. He couldn't understand why every weapon he touched would jam, but it was true. Perhaps he just wasn't cut out for the west. Then again, if women as stunning as Kanae Kotonami were heading west, then perhaps he could endure. The girl in question had her usual characteristic scowl on her face as he approached. He halted and said, "I was told to help?"

"Is that a question or a statement," Kanae asked, though with a disinterested air.

"Um… Ah… A statement," Yashiro squared his shoulders and stepped forward. "I'm here to help."

Kanae shrugged, "Suit yourself. We have to collect all of the tin ammo boxes and the brass. The merchant sends it all back for a money." With those words she turned from the bespectacled man and focused on her duties. At the moment she was angry. In fact, she had been angry all week. She had expected to work, but she certainly hadn't expected to be shuffled from job-to-job in this manner. Besides that, wherever she went she was approached by men. Some only wanted to talk. Some proposed marriage. Several made very rude and inappropriate suggestions.

The women and girls were worse. They viewed the idea of unmarried, unaccompanied women on the wagon train as something both improper and unacceptable. For one thing, they knew that there were more single men than available single women. For another, they didn't like the way that their own husbands noticed to two pretty young ladies. Kanae and Kyoko had been snubbed, jostled, and insulted by these paragons of gentility, but they wouldn't back down.

Kanae grumbled as she thought about that relentless, overenthusiastic girl. All week long Kyoko Mogami had attached herself to Kanae and proclaimed them both "best-friends." The audacity of it! And the girl wouldn't relent, no matter how rude Kanae would act. Kanae had even made the girl cry once, but she had felt so bad that she had treated the girl to a sarsaparilla immediately… which only served to further cement Kyoko's conviction of their destined friendship. It made Kanae soooo… angry? Frustrated? _What do I feel? _It was even worse now because Kanae had actually wished that the girl was here with her today more than once!

Doctor Kijima had finished running through the basics with his last group and they began firing. With Yashiro's help they gathered the last boxes and waited for the shooters to step away so that they could gather any spent brass that had been tossed aside in the loading process. As the men stepped away, Kanae became aware of a shadow over her. Annoyed, she looked up to see the face of the handsome doctor smiling down at her. "Little lady, why don't you let me teach you how to fire a revolver? Even a pretty little thing like you should know how to defend herself."

Kanae stood, threw the brass into the waiting box, and began moving towards Kijima. When there was only six inches separating them, Kanae looked up into the man's grinning, hopeful face and asked, "Is that big pistol of yours loaded, Doctor?"

Kijima smiled at the girl, hypnotized by her sapphire eyes. Then he felt the weight on his hip lessen as Kanae slid his revolver out of his holder, wheeled, and fired six times. Yashiro ducked down in front of her as all six rounds flew across the impromptu firing range, striking the target dead-center every time. Kanae wheeled again with a look of sweet innocence in her eyes as she held the doctor's weapon out to him… pistol grip first. "I think I'll have to pass on that lesson, Doctor. I have real work to do." And with that, she walked away, ignoring the incredulous stares of the men.

Due to her irresponsible and often absent parents, Kanae had often been the only provider for her large family. At the age of twelve she learned to shoot both rifle and pistol, and when she hunted, she almost always got her prey… of course, in this male-dominated world it didn't pay to reveal such things. She smiled to herself and then, annoyed at the thought, she wondered what Kyoko was doing.

**oOoOOoOo**

Kyoko groaned and pushed again, dragging herself yet another foot across the abandoned, mud-filled street towards more solid ground. Her ankle and foot were throbbing terribly, enough that some of the twinges almost made her faint. She felt angry, abused, and used. It only enhanced her anger towards men that not one of those three men had stayed behind to help her. They were only interested in the finely dressed lady.

She snorted. _Lady indeed. Ruriko Matsunai couldn't hold a candle to the ladies of Boston, despite all of her snootiness and fineries._ It rankled Kyoko that she had set aside her own fancier clothing in order to better suit her position, only to be treated like nothing more than a cast-off by men who should know better… but then again, Shotaro had done even worse… and her mother had abandoned her as well…

Kyoko stopped struggling and lay there in the street, lost in the anguish of feeling unwanted. _Will nobody ever want me? Will nobody ever lo…_ Kyoko pushed aside that thought savagely. _Love is only a fool's way to open yourself for anguish and loss. It is a useless emotion that destroys hearts and steals what little value there is in life. I will never…_

Kyoko jerked when wet, warm air suddenly blew across her face. Grimacing from a new shock of pain, she looked up into the curious large brown eyes of a bay horse. There was movement above the horse as a tall man dismounted and stepped around the animal. "Give her some space, Jesse," the soft, deep voice said. As the man knelt down, Kyoko recognized him as the same man from the train station and from Lory Takarada's sitting parlor. She flushed from embarrassment at her appearance and predicament, but the mud which caked almost every inch of her clothing and face hid her humiliation.

The man smiled and, for a moment, Kyoko found herself thinking that he had a very nice smile indeed. Then her situation intruded and she felt angry that he was finding amusement from her predicament.

"Go away!"

Ren's eyes widened as he suddenly recognized those golden eyes. "You seem to be in quite a mess," he commented. "I must say that you appear to have the 'damsel in distress' role perfected."

Kyoko's anger surged at this, "I AM NOT a damsel in distress. I was going to the livery when I had an accident. That is all. Now, if you will kindly move on, I will be perfectly fine taking care of…. Waaaahhh!" Without so much as a "by your leave," the tall man reached under her muddy body and scooped her into the air. She was in too much shock to react immediately, and her shock was renewed when he demonstrated his herculean strength by climbing easily back onto his horse with her still cradled in his arms.

It was only after he jiggled the reins once and started them on their way that she regained her voice. "PUT ME DOWN!" She exclaimed, squirming in his arms.

"Miss, I saw you favoring that ankle. Now there is next to nothing between here and the livery stable down the road, so it won't do you any good to be set down anytime soon. A gentleman doesn't allow an injured lady to languish in the mud."

Kyoko had the distinct feeling that this man was gaining pleasure from her humiliation and she continued her squirming. "Don't try to play the gentleman with me," she glared. "I hadn't even been here ten minutes before you told me to go home! You are no different than the rest of the men around here. You're all gamblers and cheaters and cold-blooded killers and…"

Kyoko knew she had gone too far when she sensed a hidden reservoir of rage emanating from the tall man. She was about to apologize when the horse stopped. She glanced around and realized that they had reached the stables. Once again, without preamble, he dismounted with her in his arms; only this time he stomped over to a porch and set her down. He was gentle, but it was quite clear that he wanted to place distance between himself and her. Kyoko felt shame at her words, but he had turned on his heels and led his bay horse into the stable before she could apologize.

"Who do you think that you are, getting Ren Tsuruga to carry you like some sort of princess?" A voice seethed behind her. Kyoko turned her head to find Ruriko glaring at her with a fire of hatred and jealousy in her eyes.

"Ren Tsuruga?" Kyoko asked. The name sounded familiar. Then her eyes grew wide and alarmed as she recalled the conversation between the two old men on that first evening. "_He's _Ren Tsuruga, the gunfighter!" She felt cold fear grip her stomach as she recalled her cruel words.

Ruriko bent down and sneered, "Look at you! You're a disgrace. I don't know why I was worried. Ren would _never_ give a second glance to a girl like you." She huffed again and flounced away. As she walked, she called out loudly, "I've decided. I want that speckled palamino."

Kyoko looked past the Ruriko and saw two men talking beside a corral fence. Past them there were horses. Her heart surged. She missed horses. The Fuwa Hotel had kept an entire stable full of horses, and she knew every one. Most were kept for pulling carriages, but the stable master had still allowed her to ride any of them whenever she could catch even one spare moment from her busy day.

Gritting her teeth against the pain, she made herself stand up, drawn towards the corral. As she moved she heard Ruriko arguing with the men. "Look, my father promised me a horse from _this _corral, and I want her!"

"I'm sorry, Miss Mastsunai," the stable owner argued, "but I'm afraid that she is completely unsuited for someone like you. She's mean and untamed. If you try to ride her then you'll…"

"I am an _excellent_ rider, Mister Foss, and I want that palomino. Now, do you want my father to have to come down here and…"

Another voice broke in, "Ruriko, why are you raising a fuss here?"

Ruriko turned toward the voice and blushed, "Why… hello Ren. How are you today?"

"I'm fine, Ruriko. Now what is the fuss?"

"My father promised me a horse from this new batch in the corral. I want that palomino. This man refused to give her to me." Ruriko spoke with sickening sweetness. She wanted to make a good impression on Ren, but she was also determined to own that horse.

"Mr. Tsuruga, would you please explain to her about that horse? That is no horse for a lady. She wouldn't last a minute…"

"I suppose that you could let her try. If she can tame the horse, it's hers. If not, then the discussion is closed." Ren raised a challenging eyebrow at the girl.

Ruriko flinched. It was one thing to demand something… but she had assumed that the men would take the responsibility of taming the thing. "I… well I…" Ruriko met Ren's eyes and stiffened, "Well… fine." She turned and walked towards the corral gate in order to let herself in. With her jaw set she opened the gate and stepped inside. Once that was done she began to walk purposefully towards her quarry. The palomino ignored her at first. Then the horse turned her eyes on the approaching figure, snorted, and began to wag her head threateningly. Ruriko stopped walking and stood there uncertainly. Then the palomino began to charge forward. In an instant Ruriko turned on her heels and ran, her dress flying in the wind. She reached the gate, but the latch wouldn't cooperate and the horse was getting closer.

Then the air was filled with an odd, melodic whistling sound. The palomino stopped and turned her head to search for the sound. There was a human, brown with mud, standing at another portion of the corral fence. The sound came again and the horse locked hazel eyes on golden eyes. She moved forward, noticing that the human female was lamed. The whistling continued and the horse nodded her head in acknowledgment. There was comfort and kindness in those golden eyes and the horse moved forward until she was able to snuffle at the muddy girl's face. The girls whispered soothing words and wrapped the big head in a gentle embrace.

"Well, I'll be," the stable owner exclaimed softly, "I don't think that I've ever seen the like. I've had that cursed horse for three weeks and not one person has been able to come near her. This little lady… there is a lady under all of that mud, right? As I was saying… and she tames her just like that." He snapped his fingers.

Ren Tsuruga said nothing, but his breath caught in his throat as a childhood memory blinked in and out of his conscious mind. Finally, he said, "She had some sort of trouble. Her leg was injured and she fell in the mud on Meeker Street."

The other man muttered, "They need to fix that mess before someone gets killed.

Kyoko was oblivious to the conversation because she was busy speaking with Princess. She didn't consciously decide to call her Princess, it was just that way. "You're a wild horse, aren't you girl. You don't really belong behind a fence like this. I understand. Sometimes life happens and we're suddenly stuck in places that we really don't want to be. But don't worry, I'll…"

"Good. You caught her for me," Ruriko proclaimed grandly, "Hold her while I show her who's boss."

Kyoko was preparing to protest when Princess took matters into her own hands. The horse wheeled around so quickly that Ruriko jumped back in fear. She caught her dress in her boot heels, toppling over and falling into the deep mud of the corral. Then, as Princess moved closer, she rolled over in an effort to stand and get away. Instead of standing, she face-planted; leaving her just as muddy as Kyoko. The only difference was that this was a corral… a horse corral… meaning that the mud was of a slightly different composition. Sputtering, the outraged girl sprang up and half ran, half-crawled the remaining distance to the gate. When she was safely out, she hurled insults and threats at both horse and girl before stomping off towards her father's home.

The stable owner, Mr. Foss, walked over to the injured girl, followed by his assistant and Ren Tsuruga. "That was quite a feat, little lady. You seem to have a magic touch with horses."

Princess had returned to where Kyoko was leaning on the fence. Kyoko beamed at the man, shocking all three men. Even covered in mud, her smile was radiant. "That's because some horses _are_ magic, Sir. Take Princess here; she's not just any normal horse. She comes from a long line of royal horses. Her mother was a great queen and her father was the king of all of the horses on the plains."

The three men stood there, dumbfounded as this girl spouted nonsense about horse royalty. Two of the men felt pity for the addled girl, but Ren Tsuruga realized that this golden-eyed girl saw, or at least thought she saw, more than any of them were capable of seeing. Once again a memory tickled at his brain.

Mr. Foss cleared his throat nervously, "Ummm… well, be that as it may, I honestly haven't been able to do anything with this pretty lady here. Do you think that you could?"

Kyoko looked at the man in confusion, but then she understood the implications of his words, "Mr…?"

"Foss, Ma'am. Albert Foss."

"Mr. Foss, I leave with the wagon train in a week, but until then…"

"I'm sorry," the man interrupted. "I didn't make myself clear. You see… ummm, Princess has been a bad influence with the other horses. I was just about to sell her off to somebody who might be able to break her. But if _you_ were able to do something with her, well…"

"Sir, I couldn't possibly… you see, I don't have the money to buy a horse, and it certainly wouldn't be right for you to give such an expensive gift!" Kyoko felt torn between her desire to spend more time with Princess and her sense of right and wrong.

"If I might interrupt?" Ren stepped in. Everyone looked at him curiously. "The reason that I came her today was to choose three more horses for Mr. Takarada. You see, he needs his new employees to be able to ride when they aren't driving wagons. It will expedite their duties. So, if Princess is willing and Miss Mogami agrees, we will choose her and two more."

Kyoko met the man's eyes with suspicion, but she knew that it only made logical sense for her and Kanae to ride from place-to-place. She broke her gaze away from his and looked at Mr. Foss. "You have a deal, Sir."

The man nodded with a smile, "You know, Miss Mogami, if you had time away from your other duties and wanted to help me gentle horses before you leave, I will throw in a saddle. Do we have a deal?"

Kyoko's smiled radiantly again, making all three men catch a breath. She nodded happily, "Done."

Kyoko's triumph was almost ruined when she realized that there were no side-saddles to be found. While she was deciding what to do her eyes met the tall man's and she saw the challenge there. Biting back any foolish words that were itching to be spoken, she told the owner, "I can ride astride, Mr. Foss."

Ten minutes later Kyoko, mud and all, was sitting majestically on a perfectly formed, beautiful palomino named Princess, riding back toward the Takarada mansion. It would have been better if she hadn't been riding beside that arrogant, presumptuous, very handsome Ren Tsuruga.

**oOoOOoOo**

Exactly six days later, only minutes after Dr. Kijima took the wrapping off of Kyoko's healed ankle, a rider came barreling into the camp on the outskirts of St. Louis crying, "The grass is up! The grass is up!"

Kyoko and Kanae smiled at each other. Tomorrow they would be heading west.

* * *

><p><strong>Notes: <strong>Thanks for your reviews. I'll try to get another chapter of something out before beginning a ten-day trip across the United States… going east.

I'm dedicating this chapter to Jenndifurry, who reminded me that Yashiro needs to have a frustrating mechanical or electrical jinx. It might make for a little comedy later on in the story.


	7. Westward Ho!

**Chase the Sun**

**Disclaimer:** I do not own SkipBeat or the story that this title makes allusion to. In the interest of creating a more western feel, some of the names of the main characters have been slightly altered.

**Chapter 7 – Westward Ho!**

"You should talk to him, Maria," Kyoko urged one more time as they approached the train platform. They were riding together on Princess, with Maria seated protectively in front of Kyoko. Over the past two weeks Maria had spent at least a portion of every day with her "big sister" and they had grown close. "Your grandfather loves you dearly. This will be a dangerous journey, Maria. What if…" She didn't complete her sentence, instead letting the possibilities hang in the air. Kyoko liked both the eccentric leader of the wagon train and his equally unusual granddaughter. It pained her to see the pair estranged in such a way.

Maria leaned her curly blond head into her older companion's chest and sighed, "I know, Kyoko. I love Grandfather but I'm still angry that he won't allow me to come along. He's sooo sure that Father will suddenly turn around and want to see me. That's the real reason why he won't let me go with all of you. But Father doesn't care and he doesn't want to see me! He hates me and he blames me for Momma's death."

Maria sounded so hollow and sad that Kyoko had to squeeze her close. She wanted to deny Maria's words, but how could she when she knew that some parents do hate their children. Princess nickered, trying in her own way to sooth the heartbroken little girl. Ruriko had been incensed when she learned that the beautiful palomino had been all but given to Kyoko. She had attempted to use her father's wealth and power to force Kyoko to hand her over, but it was Princess who seemed to have the final say. She would not allow any human close except for Kyoko. Later in the week she also accepted the presence of others from whom she sensed a fondness for Kyoko: Kanae, Maria… and shockingly, Ren Tsuruga. Kyoko chose not to explore the reasons for that.

They arrived at the train station where Lory Takarada, Sebastian, and Ren had already dismounted. Maria gave her adopted big sister a huge hug before sliding down off of Princess. She gave the horse a kiss on the snout and a caress before turning to the men. Ignoring her grandfather at first, she went to Ren. Ren bent down and picked her up into the air. Maria looked deeply into his eyes and said, "You can't fall in love with anyone from the wagon train, Ren. In ten years I'll be nineteen and then you can marry me, okay?"

Ren blushed and smiled, but his eye caught and held on the unusual girl who was still mounted on her horse. "I promise to do my best, Maria. You don't go overboard with your pranks in that ladies' school, but don't let them bully you either."

Ren set her down and Maria walked to Sebastian, who knelt before her and accepted a hug. "Please protect Grandfather, Sebastian. He's silly and stubborn, but he's the only grandfather I have."

"I will give my life to see that he arrives safely, Maria. You have my word." Maria nodded and stepped back, turning to her tall grandfather. For this solemn occasion he had set aside his costumes in favor of a suit. He looked tall, distinguished, and very handsome. Maria felt her eyes tear up at the thought of his impending anger and disapproval. She took one slow step… and then she surged forward into his arms. "I love you, Grandfather! I'm sorry that I've been such a pain… but I think that you are wrong to go without me. Who'll be there to keep you out of trouble? Sebastian can't control you and everyone else is too scared to try. You _need_ me!" She leaned back and looked at him with tear-filled, pleading eyes.

Lory's eyes were moist as well. He wanted to keep this precious girl close to him but he held onto the hope that his son would finally wake up to what he was missing and reclaim Maria. He didn't know if this was a lost cause or not, but he had to try, even if it meant leaving Maria in the east for a few more years. "I'm sorry, Maria. You're father is in Philadelphia and you should be nearby." He saw the hurt in Maria's eyes and flinched, but he did not relent. Maria stepped back, grabbed the valise that Sebastian had brought along, and walked onto the train without another backwards glance.

**oOoOOoOo**

The remainder of the day was full of last-minute details. Lory, with Sebastian always at his side, met with the various leaders throughout the day. Ren, with his seemingly permanent bespectacled shadow Yashiro, met with the men and reiterated the dangers of the trail and the importance of watchfulness. Kyoko, on Princess, and Kanae on a pretty black gelding rode back and forth along the rows of tents and the assembled wagons, passing on messages, helping families, and looking for any problems.

There were plenty of single men hoping for a start, but there were also married couples and even families. One family, the Ogatas, had so many children that they couldn't keep track of them all. Thankfully the older children were well-behaved and they kept the younger children in line. The Ogata couple was a source of amusement for some because Mr. Ogata was a thin, wiry man without an ounce of spare flesh while his wife, Haruki, was voluptuous and stunning. But if any of the admiring men had a thought of stepping in, they were mistaken: Haruki loved her little man with a passion… witness the brood of little children running everywhere.

The Ishibashis were quartered half a mile away. Lory's herd was only one of several, but the Ishibashi's had overall charge of the beasts. They would follow the wagon train at a short distance so that the hulking beasts wouldn't create dust for the travelers. Kyoko and Kanae rode up to find two of the trio sitting on a corral fence, chewing on long stems of grass.

Shinichi grinned and prodded Hikaru. "Man, she does look good on that palomino, don't you think?"

Hikaru grimaced as he felt the blood rise to his cheeks, but he couldn't stop the smile that came to his lips as Kyoko came close and waved hello. Before he could speak, Yuusei sang out from the back of their wagon, "Hey Kyoko! Hello Kanae! Is everything ready?"

"As ready as they will ever be," Kanae muttered. Lory had been making use of her photographic memory to check and double-check every tiny detail of the preparation, until Kanae was more stressed than he was.

Kyoko called out, "What are you doing, Yuusei?"

"Just checking our instruments. It would be a long, boring trip without music." Kyoko smiled. The three young men had all been musically trained at the orphanage. On several evenings recently, in between rainstorms, they had sat around a fire and held impromptu concerts.

Hikaru was about to use this opportunity to ask Kyoko to visit their fire on this evening, but once again another voice intruded. "You're going to exhaust your horses before we even take a single step west. You should get down and let them rest for a while." The words, spoken gruffly, lost a little of their effect as the two girls turned to find a thirteen year-old boy scowling at them. He blushed as Kanae's sapphire eyes met his, frowned, and stomped away.

Kyoko quickly covered her mouth to hide the grin she felt splitting her face. She knew that the poor Uesugi boy had a crush on her best friend, but she had quickly learned that teasing didn't always go well with Kanae. Still, she thought it was cute.

Hikaru took a breath to make his plea one more time, but this time Kanae spoke up, "Unless you have a special need for our help, we need to move on. There are only two hours of daylight left and we'll be moving out at first light." When nobody could think of any special needs, the two girls wheeled their mounts and sped off at a gallop.

Shinichi clapped a supportive hand on his smaller brother's shoulder, "Don't worry, Hikaru. She'll be on the trail with us every day. I'm sure that you'll find the courage to speak _someday._" He quickly jumped off of the fence before Hikaru could knock him off. "We're rooting for you, Brother."

**oOoOOoOo**

Ren and Yashiro rode out of the darkness and into the dawn. The trail was still damp, but three days of hot sun had served to evaporate the worst of the puddling. Two-hundred and twenty wagons, five hundred people, and over a thousand cattle would make the ground into a muddy soup, but it would still be passable.

Ren expelled a heavy breath, creating a small storm of steam. He had grown to love the solitude and the freedom of the open trail. Already he felt the burden of hundreds of tons of wagon train as if it was all resting on his back. At best, for the first two weeks or more, they would be lucky to cover fifteen miles in a day. As the ground flattened out and the spring rains evaporated, they might increase that to twenty… assuming that famine, flame, foe or pestilence didn't impede their journey.

Yashiro shifted on his mount and removed his cowboy hat. The weeks in a saddle had toughened him and he could endure the trials with confidence now, but he hoped that they wouldn't hit the trail in the dead of night too often. He was amazed and in awe of the tall man next to him. Seven years his junior, Ren Tsuruga was already almost an icon among his peers. He could ride better, shoot better, track better, and fight better than almost anyone. The ladies loved his rugged good looks and the men respected him almost automatically. He was truly the stuff of legend that made young men want to go west and become something more.

And yet, beneath the surface, Ren Tsuruga seemed to be a man who was running from something. It wasn't only that he was taciturn… that was frustrating enough for the writer. It was more; the man never said a word about his past. He never answered questions about his parents, his place of birth, or his childhood. His history started here, in St. Louis, five years ago… as if he had appeared out of thin air. As a writer, this didn't present a problem. People wanted to read about his exploits, not about his childhood. But as a friend… and Yashiro did consider the man a friend… it was troublesome.

Ren was oblivious to his riding companion's scrutiny as they crested the last little knoll and saw the vast, sprawling city of St. Louis stretching out before them. Already, in only six short weeks, it had grown another two miles westward. Who knew how much larger it would grow by the next time Ren saw it again… assuming that he ever would. He also saw the thin snake-like line of campfires on the outskirts of the city. Each campfire signaled the presence of a wagon and of people; people who were already up in the cold dawn morning, cooking breakfast and completing last-minute preparations for the start of their epic journey.

Although the wagon train camp was still over a mile distant, Ren's eyes seemed to be scanning for a black-haired figure on a tall palomino horse. He didn't see any riders, so he assumed that she must be elsewhere.

"What do you supposed she's doing right now," Yashiro asked.

"Probably cooking a massive breakfast," Ren replied. Then he jerked his head around to glare at Yashiro. Yashiro only grinned. He had been making allusions and innuendos about Ren's interest in Kyoko Mogami for several days now. This wasn't the first time that he had been tricked into revealing his near-obsession about the girl.

Ren looked away and spurred Jesse forward. "I'm not interested, Yashiro. She's too young and too impetuous."

"Of course you're not," Yashiro replied with casual sarcasm, keeping his mount head-level with Jesse. "But out here girls get married and start raising families as early as thirteen. If you don't at least let her know that you are interested, one of the one-hundred and twenty-three other single men will step in and stake his claim. Then what will you do?"

Ren glared at the rising sun, refusing to look at Yashiro. "Nothing. She isn't mine to fight over."

"But she could be, Ren. She could be."

**oOoOOoOo**

Men, at least in the romantic sense, were the last thing on Kyoko's mind. She had been awake in the wee hours, checking on a thousand details along with Kanae. Lory Takarada, ever tireless, might not have slept at all; from what she could tell. Satisfied that everything was in order as much as it could be, she had cooked a large breakfast. Having distributed her bill o' faire to her employer, Sebastian, Kanae, and several others, she looked up and saw the two men riding out of the west. Planting her hands on her hips, she frowned at them as they approached.

"Hello Miss Kyoko," Yashiro called out cheerfully. "Did you save us any?"

"I did, Mr. Yashiro. If you'll both climb down…"

"I won't be eating," Ren interrupted. "Too much to do before we head out."

Kyoko planted herself in front of Jesse and glared, "Look here, Mr. Tsuruga. We have five-hundred people here who have placed their lives into your hands. What do you think will happen to us if you keel over from malnutrition? When was the last time you ate?" Over the past week she had taken note of the scout's poor eating habit. Her upbringing under the guidance of Tomajii Fuwa, the head chef and Sho's father, had taught her the importance of good food to remain healthy and strong.

Ren returned her glare with one of his own… one that would have frightened most people away, "I had a nice chunk of venison jerky before we hit the trail this morning." He tried to guide his horse around the young woman, but she held her place and reached out to stroke Jesse's nose. Jesse nickered and pushed against the girl's chest.

"A chunk of jerky is unacceptable. You need real food. I have made you a light omelet with just a touch of onions, ham, and tomato. It isn't heavy and it won't overfill you. Now please get down." Kyoko continued to stroke Jesse's nose and jaw until Ren finally huffed and dismounted. Kyoko nodded her head in the direction of the food before heading off to take care of another chore. Once she was out of earshot, Ren glared back at Jesse and muttered, "Traitor."

Yashiro only chuckled, to be joined by the deeper chuckle of Lory Takarada. The older man eyed Ren curiously, "I didn't know that you and my ward had grown so close, Ren. She is certainly a girl who knows her own business."

"It would be better if she stuck to her business and didn't try to mind mine," Ren muttered through a mouthful of truly delicious omelet. That only earned him more laughter.

**oOoOOoOo**

Breakfast was a hurried affair, but there was still much grumbling among those who chose to wake up extremely early or who chose to skip breakfast altogether. While some people had anxiously boarded their wagons an hour before sunrise, others were still running around loading items a half-hour after the sun lifted above the horizon. Tempers flared and words were exchanged, but with the help of Lory Takarada's employees and the assistance of others, everything was soon ready.

The wagon train was arranged into three columns and it would travel that way as often as possible until rivers needed fording or mountains needed traversing. From the first "Hai-upp," it took the entire wagon train nearly ten minutes before every single wagon was moving along the rolling hills outside of St. Louis. Throughout the morning there were whoops and hollers of excitement. Those who rode horses thundered up and down the line until a small child was almost run over, at which point the older, wiser heads stepped in a calmed things down. The wagon train reluctantly halted for the nooning, which soon turned into a picnic atmosphere with much laughing and talking.

The first night was much the same: a pleasant, cool breeze wafted among the unhitched wagons and people lingered and visited by campfires long past the hour of darkness. The carnival-type atmosphere continued for two more days, though weariness was beginning to affect some. And then it rained. And it rained. And it rained some more. The canvas covers of the wagons had ceased to hold back the rain after the first day. By the third day the insides of the canvasses looked almost like water on glass. But regardless of the weather, the wagon train trudged on. The mud grew deeper until the last wagons in each line were having difficulty moving at all. Horses stumbled, oxen complained, women and children cried, and men grumbled, argued, and fought. By midnight the storm was raging as if the world was coming to an end.

But on the seventh day out of St. Louis, the wagon train woke to the singing of birds, the chirping of crickets, and a cloudless blue sky. Everyone packed up and drove forward, but after only eight miles Lory Takarada halted the train so that rain-soaked goods and supplies could be pulled out and allowed to dry. The night was pleasant and people relaxed, but the festive atmosphere of the first three days was gone forever. The travelers now began to truly understand the seriousness of the task that they were undertaking. To give them credit, despite the grumbling, nobody mentioned turning around and going home.

**oOoOOoOo**

_***Author's Note: **__I hate the use of any derogatory terms, but it sometimes becomes necessary in dialogue in order to make the characters authentic. I promise to keep any insulting terminology to a bare minimum._

"I hope that you comprehend the seriousness of this situation, Sergeant. Lory Takarada could easily have run for Governor of the newly minted State of Missouri and won. He has been one of the territory's most active boosters and he has the gift of turning people to his cause. He may not have been a publically outspoken Free-Stater, but his leanings have been made quite clear. Not only is his cook a darkie*, but he has admitted three Negroe* families into his wagon train. Besides that, I don't think that one of the members of his wagon train support of our cause. Now he is heading west to establish his ideas in another territory which may soon apply for statehood. Simply put, we can't afford to see one more state added to this country on the side of the North. War is coming and we need to be stacking the deck."

Sergeant Reino of the United States Cavalry sneered, "Mr. Tucker, you don't need to waste your time convincing me. Just tell me what you want me and my boys to do and I'll see that it's done." His accent was strong at the moment, but Sergeant Reino also possessed the ability to mask his accent when necessary. His accent was also a mirror of his southern sentiments.

To be quite honest, Reino couldn't care less one way or the other about what would happen if a war started. He had lived out his teen years in California chasing after the next big gold strike with his drunkard father. When his father died he discovered that it was much more profitable… and much less exhausting… to simply steal the gold from other miners rather than dig or pan for it himself.

It had worked for quite a while, but over time word got out and Reino had to be more careful. Eventually it seemed safer to leave California. He had amassed quite a fortune, despite his gambling, and he wanted to live to enjoy it. But one year of living the life of a wealthy man had left him bored to tears. He craved adventure, mayhem, and perhaps even a little blood. When the hatred between the North and the South kept growing, he decided that he had found a way to make his life more interesting. Unfortunately, people noticed when you packed a gun. He needed a legitimate excuse and at least the implied backing of a greater power. The Army provided the excuse and the authority, and men like Mr. Tucker were able to grease the right palms to buy him his promotion. One year was enough to manipulate the system until he had found a company of like-minded men. All that was needed now was the opportunity… and this wagon train offered definite possibilities.

Reino was born in New Orleans, where his mother was still practicing the art of Voodoo and fortune telling. He hadn't inherited all of her giftings, but he could sense people's strongest emotions and he fed on them. Anger, sadness, hatred, despair… all were like a drug to him.

After excusing himself from Mr. Tucker's office, he signaled for his men to join him. They would set out in the morning to follow the train. Tonight he wanted to run over to the big hotel saloon on the corner, ogle the owner Aki Shouko, and fleece that arrogant little pretty boy Sho Fuwa. Sergeant Reino grinned. _Maybe I can even trick him into challenging me to a gunfight._

* * *

><p><strong>Notes: <strong>This is a shorter chapter, but it was getting too long and I decided to break it up. Not too exciting yet. Sorry.

I will also apologize once again for the derogatory terms used in one portion of this chapter. Because this story takes place in 1859, only a short time before the beginning of the Civil War, I felt the need to address the issues in my story. As I wrote before, such terminology will be held down to a bare-minimum for authenticity.

Thanks to everyone for your encouraging reviews.


	8. Jealousies, accusations, and a stowaway

**Chase the Sun**

**Disclaimer:** I do not own SkipBeat or the story that this title makes allusion to. In the interest of creating a more western feel, some of the names of the main characters have been slightly altered.

**Chapter 8 – Jealousies, accusations, and the stowaway**

It was still early evening when Kyoko finished her share of the dishes at the community wash stand, stowed everything, and walked over to where Princess stood, un-tethered. Not once since Mr. Takarada had given her the horse had she tied the animal. She knew that Princess would not run and she would certainly not let anyone she didn't know close enough to allow herself to be stolen.

Princess nudged Kyoko and the big horse's eyes seemed to take on a playful look. Kyoko smiled, "Do you want to play a little?" The palomino nodded and turned side-on so that Kyoko could prepare her. Kyoko yanked the saddle from the back of the chuck wagon and manhandled it onto Princess. It was a light riding saddle, not truly meant for long trips, but it was just right for Kyoko's small frame. "I'm going for a ride around the perimeter, Abel," she sang out.

A small old man with skin as dark as coal looked up from the whittling he was working on, "You take care, Miss Kyoko. If you stray outside of the camp Mr. Tsuruga will have my skin. You wouldn't want that, would you?"

Kyoko grinned, though she also felt a warming in her cheeks that she did not understand, "I'll be good. Princess just needs to stretch." _I shouldn't get flustered just because Ren Tsuruga was checking up on me. He is responsible for everyone on this train, so it's only natural. He doesn't even think that I should be here after all._

Abel watched as the slender girl almost floated up into the saddle. In a moment horse and rider were thundering away, keeping far enough from the wagons so as not to run into any straggling children, but close enough to fulfill her promise. The old man shook his head in amusement. That Lory Takarada certainly knew how to find unusual people. When Abel had first seen this girl at the mansion he had thought her to be an eastern belle, feminine and weak. He had altered that opinion when she parked herself and her borrowed chuck wagon in front of the mansion until Lory signed her on. And he had altered his opinion again after watching the girl work tirelessly since that day. Now the girl was wearing trousers, sitting astride, and riding better than most of the men of the train. He couldn't help but wonder what would be next.

Ren and Yashiro were riding back in after scouting when they saw the girl tearing down on them. Yashiro muttered a flimsy excuse and rode into camp, waving as he passed Kyoko and leaving her with Ren. In the past two weeks during the final preparations and during the first leg of the journey they had often been forced to work together closely. Each had warmed somewhat to the other, until now their relationship was at least amicable. "How are you, Miss Mogami?"

"I'm doing well, Mr. Tsuruga. Princess and I were just enjoying the warm evening."

Ren found himself admiring the straight-backed manner in which she sat her horse. He mind had also noted the trousers and the way that they highlighted her more-feminine curves. He shook his head, chiding himself for his thoughts.

"Is something wrong, Mr. Tsuruga?" Kyoko had seen the shaking of his head and leaned toward him in concern. Her golden eyes only added to the man's disturbance.

"I'm… fine, Miss Mogami…" He saw her preparing to move on and spoke quickly, before thinking, "I could use your help, though."

Kyoko raised an eyebrow, devastating her companion without even knowing it. "I can't imagine how someone like me could possibly help someone like you, Mr. Tsuruga, but I will try."

Ren could think of many different ways that she could help, but he had already noticed that she seemed to react poorly to any suggestions of courting or intimacy. He had spoken in haste and now his mind was scrambling for an excuse. Then his eyes caught sight of two running children whom he didn't know and he said, "You seem to know most of the people in this train. I'm always out on scouting duties, so I don't know everybody yet. If you would be willing to accompany on my rounds today, you're knowledge would be invaluable."

Not for the first time Kyoko noticed that the tall man's speech and vocabulary were more refined than most of the people on this train. She often found herself wondering what his background was… though it would have been entirely inappropriate to ask. Instead she smiled brightly; utterly oblivious to how that smile almost destroyed the tall man's self-control. "I would be happy to help, though Kanae is the better choice, since she never forgets even the smallest detail."

"I have noticed that she possesses an incredible memory, Miss Mogami, but you seem to be the one who makes friends with everyone." He watched her blush and savored the moment even while he was kicking himself internally for dwelling on a girl who was much too young and much too good for someone like him.

"I wouldn't say that I make friends with everyone," Kyoko fought down her embarrassment. She liked meeting new people and she loved making friends with the children, but there were many who were not receptive to her… most especially the girls her own age. As suddenly as the thought came, a dark aura descended around them. Ren was about to say something but Princess beat him to it. She threw her head back, startling Kyoko out of her brooding. Kyoko smiled affectionately at her mount and patted her. "I'm sorry, Princess. I promise that I won't brood anymore."

"What are you brooding about, Miss Mogami," Ren asked with genuine concern. "Are people in the camp giving you a difficult time?"

"No, no…" Kyoko answered too quickly. She had no intention of burdening this busy man with her minor problems. What would he think of her if she couldn't even handle this? She wasn't even fully aware of it, but sometime in the past ten days she had begun to crave his acceptance. She wanted this man, the assistant leader to the President of the Wagon Train, to view her as a reliable, trustworthy, and valuable member of the train.

Ren saw her hesitation and his own inner demons began to grow irritated. _I should have known that the prima-donnas of this train would try to make life difficult for the two young ladies. Or is it the men of this train? Is there a man harassing Miss Mogami?_

Kyoko did not know what this man's thoughts were, but she could definitely sense his rising anger. Unfortunately, she immediately assumed that his anger was directed at her. Searching their conversation in her mind, she tried to discover what had irritated him. "Ummm… Mr. Tsuruga?"

Ren looked over at the young lady and saw the fearful look on her face. _Did she sense my anger? Impossible! I have developed the perfect poker face so that I can hide my emotions. _Whether he believed the cause of her anxiety or not, Ren expelled a deep breath and tried to relax. "Yes Miss Mogami?"

"I… I just wanted to reassure you. It doesn't matter to me if the girls and the mothers don't like me. I have Kanae, and I have a great boss in Mr. Takarada, and I have other friends…"

"I sincerely hope that you include me among that group, Miss Mogami?" Ren met her eyes with his powerful blue eyes and Kyoko felt herself slipping in the saddle because her legs wouldn't work. She quickly shook herself and sat upright, but her own feelings of inadequacy surged to the fore. "Mr. Tsuruga… you are a leader on this train, an experienced scout, a mountain man, and so many other things… while I am only… well… me. I am not worthy to be your friend, but…" she blushed but still continued, "… if I could think of you as my… teacher?"

Ren felt a pain in his chest at the young lady's obvious attempt to appease him rather than accept his friendship. It hurt him, but he did not wish to show it. For some reason… something he didn't even understand himself… he wanted to be more than just her friend. "I see. That will be fine… for now."

Kyoko felt the nervous flutter in her stomach again and so she searched for a different subject. "We'll reach Independence soon. What is it like?" Their trail had led them close to the wagons where several children raced in and out in a game of tag. Kyoko watched the children for a moment and was struck by the sense that something… whatever it was, the feeling passed. It hadn't been the first time she felt that way since the journey began. Ren interpreted her obvious distraction as an attempt to put distance between then.

Ren suppressed a sigh. At least they were still speaking. "It is as wild as St. Louis was twenty years ago. People are reckless and excitable, the prices are ridiculous, and it changes constantly because people are constantly leaving and new people constantly coming in. It is one of several jumping-off points, and the largest. You shouldn't ever be alone there."

Kyoko nodded, deep in thought, "And will the… umm… other families join us there?"

Ren knew exactly who she was talking about. There would be three families of ex-slaves joining them on the journey. They each possessed real or forged emancipation papers, but Missouri was too volatile for them to safely linger. "The Boss believes that they will join up shortly after we ford the Missouri River into Kansas. I've met most of them. They are good people; hard workers with well-behaved children."

Kyoko nodded again. Her exposure to people of other races was extremely limited. There had been a former slave who worked at the finishing school. She was friendly and motherly to most of the girls, though many of them treated her rather rudely… in Kyoko's opinion. There was also a man who kept the furnace at the Fuwa Hotel going. And then there was Abel, her supervisor for cooking on this journey. He was a good man, kind an gentile despite his grizzled, rough appearance. She wondered what these new families would be like. Would there be any potential friends among them?

Kyoko gritted her teeth as she remembered some of the discussions she had overheard among the wealthier people on this wagon train. Most did not approve of the presence of blacks as anything but servants. They certainly didn't appreciate the idea of three families of "those people" joining them as equal partners in the wagon train. Several had even discussed means of discouraging or expelling the families when they attempted to join… but none of them probably had the courage to face off against Lory Takarada over the issue.

Ren might have been reading her mind. Without any words, they both paused on an elevated area of the path they had been following. Ren looked toward the west as he said, "These days most people ferry their goods and wagons on the Missouri River to Independence, and then set off from there. The Boss could've done that, but he felt strongly that this first leg of the trip would be a good shake-down. Once we're out on the plains, people have got to put up with each other, whether they like each other or not. These extra miles to Independence will scrape off the veneer and let us see what people are really like. Then, before we jump off, we'll be able to weed out the undesirables. The trail isn't as dangerous as it was, but it is still too difficult and long to spend it with people who can't be trusted… or who refuse to accept everybody on this train."

**oOoOOoOo**

It began with little things. A bag of candies went missing from the Stewart wagon. Elizabeth MacDonahue lost a prized hair ribbon that she always hung in the same spot. A lace kerchief that had been a gift from a beau disappeared right out of Miss Elmira's hope chest. Then the missing items became more valuable: jewelry, pocket-watches, and money. The losses were reported to neighbors at first, and then to line-leaders, and finally to the wagon train leaders.

Kyoko and Kanae were completely oblivious to these incidents at first, but then the gossip reached them and they too became alarmed. What alarmed them the most was the fact that people, especially the girls around their age, were casting suspicious glances their way. To be fair, it was true that one or the other of them had helped the Stewarts, the MacDonahue's, and many of the others who had experienced a loss… but they had helped almost everyone. It was their job to rove throughout the wagon train making themselves available to help or even looking for what needed to be done. For the most part, everyone had been grateful. Unfortunately, the tide of feeling was turning against them now.

Kyoko was just returning from a ride back to check on the Ishibashis when she saw Kanae's horse off by a stand of trees. She turned Princess that way and rode up to check on her friend. Kanae was there, muttering vociferously and kicking viciously at dirt clods. "Kanae? Are you all right?"

Kanae whipped around and glared at Kyoko with her incredible sapphire eyes before recognition dawned and her expression softened. Then her face contorted again as she said, "Mo! That Erika! She's always hated me, since we were little children, and now she's in this wagon train and causing trouble _again!_"

This was not the first time that Erika Koenji had come up in discussions between the two girls. Erika Koenji, like Kanae, was a native of St. Louis. The two girls had attended the same school even though Erika's father was a rich merchant who was growing even richer off of the needs of westward-bound immigrants. Erika had been the star, the best at everything, until Kanae joined the school. Kanae's grades were better. Her penmanship was better. She even took the top spot in the school play once, beating out Erika who had been too lazy to study her lines. Until that year all of the teachers had been scared of her father, but this young man had been new and he was unimpressed with Erika or her father's threats.

From that point forward, Erika had made it her business to ruin Kanae's life. She spread gossip, she spread lies, and she even vandalized another girl's pretty bonnet and made it look like Kanae was to blame. Eventually Kanae had stopped attending school altogether. Now the girl was here and it looked like the same things were happening all over again. "I should just leave," Kanae said resignedly. "She's going to turn everyone against me… or us, and pretty soon nobody will want us on the wagon train."

Kyoko understood perfectly well why Kanae said "us." Erika Koenji had met and quickly become fast friends with Ruriko Matsunai. Together they had gathered together the young ladies from the wealthier families of the train. They had also used their feminine whiles to enlist several of the young men to their cause. Slowly but surely they were forming a cordon of prejudice against "those two beggar-brats that the old fool Mr. Takarada _insisted_ on bringing along."

Neither girl was aware of the two pairs of eyes… one older and one much younger, watching them from opposites ends of the tree stand that they were in.

Kyoko shook her head, dismounting and walking over to her friend. Kanae was not a person who welcomed physical shows of affection, but this once she allowed Kyoko to take her hand. "You can't leave, Kanae. You and I are legitimate members of this wagon train. We are earning our way through hard work. Those girls do nothing. Their fathers paid for everything and they even pay others to do the work of preparing the meals. They are _not_ better than us and you can't let them win."

Kanae yanked her hand away in anger, "Don't you _get it_! They've _already_ won! All that they have to do is stand there all prim and proper in their perfect dresses, blink their pretty eyelashes, and sigh as they say, "It is _just too sad_ that those _poor, poor girls_ can't be made to reform. I _suppose_ that we all wanted to give them a chance… being good Christians and all… but I guess you _just can't_ fashion a silk purse out of a sow's ear. And to think, they've been stealing from everyone on this train!" Kanae kicked with extreme rage at another dirt clod, hurting her toe in the process, but refusing to allow the tears forming in her eyes to flow. "Don't you see, Kyoko? We're already convicted before we even have a chance to defend ourselves, MO!"

Kyoko hugged her raging friend from behind and hugged her so tightly that it stole Kanae's breath. She tried to protest, but Kyoko refused to let go. "So what, Kanae? So now you'll let them have what they want? You said that you were a good student in school. That means that you've had to learn the Constitution… knowing you, you have the whole entire thing memorized. I love that document, Kanae. The Constitution says that we are innocent until proven guilty, and I'm not going to let a bunch of bullies treat that document like trash. _I_ intend to fight until there is nothing left in me to fight with… and then I intend to keep fighting until I fall!

The young man who stood off to one side caught his breath as he saw the fire in those striking golden eyes. At first his attention had been wholly on Kanae, whose beauty was enough to captivate any man, but now it was the other young lady who captured his mind. He had recognized her as pretty when he first saw her riding by, but now the fire in those startling eyes held him and he had to revise his earlier assessment.

Kanae relaxed in Kyoko's iron grip and softly said, "You're right, Kyoko. Now let me go. I won't run away." Kyoko reluctantly released the girl, staying close lest she bolt. Kanae turned around with eager eyes and said, "But how, exactly, should we defend ourselves?"

Kyoko grimaced sheepishly, "I don't know?" But before Kanae could retort, she said, "But we'll think of something. Don't give up hope."

**oOoOOoOo**

The two ringleaders waited patiently for the most opportune moment before striking. The wagon train halted one day out of Independence. Lory Takarada passed out instructions and handed over the reigns of the train to the line leaders before mounting his stallion and riding off towards Independence with Ren Tsuruga. As soon as the evening meal call was sounded and everyone had gathered, Ruriko stepped close to the fire and loudly called out, "Folks, we have an important matter to bring to everyone's attention!"

Kanae and Kyoko were serving up chunks of the roasted beef when they saw this. Their eyes met and their hearts sank. Kyoko glanced to the west, towards Independence, but she knew that neither Lory Takarada nor Ren would be back for hours. And without them, there was little hope. Mr. Matsunai, as the oldest of the wagon train leaders present, would naturally step in… and he didn't care for either girl. He disliked Kyoko for the obvious reason that he had rejected her application but she had still managed to work her way around him to gain admittance on the train. His reasons for disliking Kanae were more sinister.

Everyone knew Tojo Matsunai as the successful dry-goods merchant. Most did not know that he also had investments in several of the most successful brothels in St. Louis. For all of his façade of respectability, Mr. Matsunai was a wolf who had a gift for spotting young ladies in trouble and luring them into situations where they became indebted to him. Eventually, almost without fail, he had established these young ladies into positions in one of his less-publicized businesses. When he saw Kanae Kotonami for the first time, he had instantly determined that she would be his next… acquisition. But when he tried to approach her, he had been rebuffed. When he became more aggressive, she had somehow taken his own pistol from his holster and pressed it against his forehead. Tojo Mastunai was not a man who liked to lose.

After Ruriko had everyone's attention, Erika stepped up. "As you have probably all heard, there are thieves among us." She flourished a sheet of paper and continued, "I have here a list of everything that has been reported missing in the past ten or more days. Those are probably only the things you know about. I wouldn't be surprised if there isn't more that you don't know about." This last statement effectively made the thefts more personal for those who hadn't been affected.

Ruriko spoke again, "I personally _hate_ to point fingers. It is not in my trusting nature to be suspicious of anyone. I was raised to respect and look for the best in every individual…" and here her voice turned sad, "unfortunately, some people disappoint us."

Like a well-choreographed dance, the two partners swirled around the issue, as if reluctant to say the name of the accused. The effect was marred somewhat as both girls kept scratching at their hands, but their words were eloquent and well-rehearsed, so few people noticed their hands. It was Erika who finally spoke directly, "I am sad to say that I know one of these individuals, so I am all too aware of her… criminal tendencies. When I heard that she had _somehow_ made her way onto this train, I wanted to give her the benefit of the doubt…" if Erika could have squeezed out a tear at this point, she would have, "… but I am sad to say…"

"Would you _stop_ all of these dramatics, Erika! You were _never_ a good actress in the first place, and you are certainly not going to fool anybody now!" Kanae stepped up, her sapphire eyes cold with hatred, "You have been accusing me and Kyoko behind our backs for almost two weeks, so don't try to act contrite now."

Tojo Matsunai stepped into the circle of the gathered crowd and raised a hand, "Now, folks… it seems that we have a problem here. I don't believe that it is in anybody's best interest to conduct something this… delicate via a shouting match." He turned a baleful eye on Kanae, but not without allowing his gaze to roam her body up and down once, "We are an organized body with an elected government. Since Mr. Takarada is absent, I believe that it leaves me as the senior member. Therefore we will conduct…"

"Actually, Mr. Matsunai, legal precedent requires you to recuse yourself from any legal proceeding." Every eye turned to examine this new participant in the drama. He was a young man; tall and slightly stooped, with a wild shock of brown hair and a goatee. Everyone recognized him as Shio Kurosaki, the young lawyer who had made quite name for himself by successfully defending several criminal cases that had seemed lost. He might look scruffy, but he had a first-class mind and a sterling reputation for winning cases. Everyone had been surprised when he had joined the wagon train, but they speculated that he would run for office in wherever they settled.

"I beg your pardon," Matsunai retorted, feeling irate at this interruption.

"It's quite simple, really," Kurosaki spoke casually, as if making an obvious point to a foolish child, "Your daughter is one of the accusers; therefore you must recuse yourself from any share of the judging of this case. That, sir, is a precedent of law dating back to the very founding of our great country."

Matsunai was a big man who was used to getting his way, but he was also a man who was skilled at hiding his true nature. With a clenched jaw he nodded, "You are correct, young man. What do you suggest?"

"Well, as far as I know, Mr. Sawara had not been affected by these thefts. Neither does he have a child who has been a part of the rather virulent rumors circulating around the wagon train. He should stand as judge…" There were murmurs of agreement, so Kurosaki continued, "… and I will volunteer myself as an impartial lawyer to ask the questions, if that is also permissible?" When the crowd seemed to agree, he said, "Very well. Shall we proceed?"

For the next twenty minutes the questioning continued. Kurosaki had robbed the two debutants of their theatrics, but they still spoke with enough confidence that it made him suspect that they had an ace up their sleeve. Lory's two charges also spoke with confidence, defending themselves calmly and relying heavily on the precepts of the Constitution that the golden-eyed girl had mentioned. Kanae, having overcome her urge to flee, quickly found her strength and swept aside most of the ridiculous rumors. Still, the two accusers never flinched.

It was Kyoko who gave them the opening they had been waiting for, "The Constitution guarantees that we are innocent until proven guilty. All that you have is a web of lies and accusations which you are trying to use to turn everyone against us. You haven't shown us one stitch of proof!"

With a triumphant smirk, Ruriko stilled her scratching and replied with a syrupy voice, "Oh… but I do have proof. You see, we have suspected you for quite some time, but we wanted to make sure that it was true before we accused you." Ruriko nodded at Erika, who moved toward the crowd. Everyone stepped aside to give her room as she walked up to the wagon that sat right behind the chuck wagon… the wagon where Kyoko and Kanae slept. Ruriko spoke up, "I believe that this is _your _wagon, isn't it?"

Kyoko and Kanae both felt a surge of ice run through them. The wagon was one that Lory Takarada had purchased from Erika's father for the express purpose of providing the two girls with a place to bed down at night. Kanae answered, "It is. You know that."

Erica left off her own scratching, casually reached under the wagon, and manipulated a lever. As if by magic, a box-shelf thunked down, revealing a hidden compartment. The closest people in the gathered crowd gasped as they saw what was in the compartment. It held everything that had been reported stolen. "As you can see," Erika purred, "We have all of the pr…"

"You planted all of those things," a strident, high voice sang out, "And _I_ can _prove_ that!"

Every eye turned to look at the shabbily dressed boy with short, knife-chopped hair who stood with his hands on his hips and a determined, angry glare on his face. At first nobody recognized the boy, but then Kyoko exclaimed, "Maria!"

* * *

><p><strong>Notes: <strong>So far it is a lot of fun to play with the canon plot and throw pieces and parts of it into this alternate-universe story. If it becomes tiresome or predictable at any point, please let me know.

And you honestly thought that I would leave Maria (who is one of my favorite characters) out of the story?

Thank you to everyone for your kind and supportive reviews.


	9. Maria the Magnificent

**Chase the Sun**

**Disclaimer:** I do not own SkipBeat or the story that this title makes allusion to. In the interest of creating a more western feel, some of the names of the main characters have been slightly altered.

**Chapter 9 – Maria the Magnificent**

_**Flashback:**__"I will give my life to see that he arrives safely, Maria. You have my word." Maria nodded and stepped back, turning to her tall grandfather. For this solemn occasion he had set aside his costumes in favor of a suit. He looked tall, distinguished, and very handsome. Maria felt her eyes tear up at the thought of his impending anger and disapproval. She took one slow step… and then she surged forward into his arms. "I love you, Grandfather! I'm sorry that I've been such a pain… but I think that you are wrong to go without me. Who'll be there to keep you out of trouble? Sebastian can't control you and everyone else is too scared to try. You need me!" She leaned back and looked at him with tear-filled, pleading eyes._

_Lory's eyes were moist as well. He wanted to keep this precious girl close to him but he held onto the hope that his son would finally wake up to what he was missing and reclaim Maria. He didn't know if this was a lost cause or not, but he had to try, even if it meant leaving Maria in the east for a few more years. "I'm sorry, Maria. You're father is in Philadelphia and you should be nearby." He saw the hurt in Maria's eyes and flinched, but he did not relent. Maria stepped back, grabbed the valise that Sebastian had brought along, and walked onto the train without another backwards glance. __**– end flashback**_

Maria showed her ticket to the porter and marched purposefully back to the private sleeper cabin that her grandfather had purchased for her. It was on the side of the train facing the depot, so she opened the window and peered out to catch sight of everyone on the platform. When she saw them, she stared until first one, and then everyone looked her way. Then she made her face look enormously sad before yanking the shade down, as if to hide her tears. Rising quickly, she went to the door of her private cabin and closed that shade as well. After checking to see that both windows were well-covered, she threw her valise onto the bench seat, fishing inside until her hands closed on the object of her search.

She looked at the scissors for what seemed like a long time, and then the voices of other passengers frightened her out of her reverie and steeled her resolve. With careful deliberation, she began cutting, crying as she felt the heartless scissors sawing through the curly hair which had never been cut, only carefully trimmed, since the day she was born. Even as she did her seemingly murderous work, she remembered the feeling of her mother combing her hair one-hundred times each night, whenever she was home. The tears flowed freely, soaking her cheeks, her neck, and her bodice… but her relentless massacre never ceased until the last long, curly strand lay on the waxen paper.

That task done, Maria quickly shed her fancy dress, working rapidly as time ticked mercilessly on. When she had shed every last scrap, she yanked out the flannel shirt and trousers that she had carefully concealed at the bottom of the valise. She was thankful that Grandfather had already sent away his servants, finding them new positions in preparation for his journey across the continent. It might have proven impossible to hide Jem Ogata's clothing otherwise. She felt decidedly strange wearing boy's clothing, but it was her best chance for concealment. There was a small mirror inside of her valise and she allowed herself one moment to check her image. The stranger looking at her made her jump back, but she grinned at her own foolishness and quickly stashed everything, carefully placing the paper-wrapped hair on top. Her golden hair would sell for at least three to five dollars at the wigmakers… a fortune in her current situation. She had money from her grandfather for leisure at school, but it might have to stretch for months.

Reaching into the side-pocket of her valise, she pulled out the small, elaborately embossed and painted round tin that was usually used to hold jewelry, but now held her secret weapon. Lifting one edge, she confirmed that everything was in order before closing the lid tightly and pushing the tin into the pocket of the flannel shirt. She jumped when she heard the conductor yell, "All Aboard!"

With trembling hands, she reached for the door handle. Taking a deep breath, she pulled. She stood there for a moment, her breath quickening as if the conductor, or her grandfather, might be standing there waiting to pounce. When nothing happened, she stepped out, took a quick look both ways, and headed to the opposite end from which she had boarded. After the longest walk of her life, she reached the end of the car, opened the door, and stepped out onto the running boards.

Taking another anxious breath, she leaned out far enough to look for her grandfather or his entourage. They were gone! Straightening, she prepared to step off when suddenly an large hand clamped down on her shoulder. "Just exactly where are you going, boy?"

Maria stiffened, but she kept her composure enough to deepen her voice and say, "I just need to get off for a moment. I'll be back."

"Nice try, you young rascal," the conductor said with a deep, gruff, amused voice, "I don't recall seeing you giving me a ticket, which means that you shouldn't have been on this train. If that ain't bad enough, you're trying to run off with a lady's valise. I'm thinking I've caught myself a thief."

Maria's mind scrambled for a thought, any thought, and then the man's words sank in. _He doesn't recognize me! I have a chance!_ Two years surviving at an all girls boarding school had taught Maria excellent coping skills, and these came to the forefront now. It was definitely time for her secret weapon. "You caught me red-handed, sir… I'll make you a deal. If you'll let me go, I'll give you what's in the jeweler's tin?"

The conductor was actually an honorable man. He had worked with railroads in the east for ten years before joining this newly-constructed route. In all of those years he had always done his job with honesty and dignity. He was also a fair and kind man. He hated the idea of seeing such a young boy going down the wrong path. "I'll tell _you_ what, young man: You return everything, the tin, the valise, and anything else you've stolen and I'll let you go. Just hand it over and tell me where you stole everything from and…" The train horn sounded out loud and long. Maria felt the train lurch under her and she felt her panic rising. The conductor continued, "Hurry, boy, or you'll be riding to the next stop and a visit from the… Aaauuugh!"

While he had been speaking, Maria pulled out the decorative tin, worked the lid, and dumped the contents onto the man. In an instant the six wolf-spiders from the tin began crawling for safety… all over the conductor. He released his hold as he tried desperately to brush his attackers away, spinning and swatting. Maria instantly grabbed her valise and jumped, hitting the platform hard and running straight for an alley between two buildings. She kept running, darting down alleys between streets, always veering away from the sun and towards the west.

Maria finally stopped running when she heard the train whistle and the distinctive sound of a train underway. Only then did she realize that nobody was in pursuit. She looked around her and found herself on an unfamiliar street. She leaned, gasping for breath, against an old-growth oak tree that sat on a lonely lot. Once she felt that she could breathe again, she recognized the area as a residential block. Of the twenty staked-lots, only seven homes were finished. Five more homes were under construction, with crews swarming over the skeleton structures. That meant that she was on the outskirts of the continuously growing city. That was good because it meant that she must be close to the edge of the city… but how close?

Maria watched each of the residential homes, hoping to see children. When there were none, she watched the construction crews looking for a man who looked trustworthy. She saw a youngish looking man pushing a wheelbarrow. He had an open, honest looking face… Maria decided that he would be the one.

She began to step out from under the shadow of the tree, and then stopped. She suddenly remembered that her valise looked too decorative and colorfully feminine. That wouldn't do. She squatted down dragging the side of the valise through the dust before turning it over and repeating the process until the whole valise was a dirty brown. Again she paused. If she walked up to the man while carrying a valise, he might assume that she was running away. Glancing around, she resolved to cache the valise in a crook of the tree. Then, taking a breath, she stepped out and walked toward the man.

"Pardon, sir, but can you point me toward Meeker Street, or Foss Livery?"

The young man set his wheelbarrow down and looked at the boy. "You look mighty young to be runnin' away from home, boy."

Maria spluttered, "What makes you think that I'm running away? I just need to get to Foss Livery!"

The man scratched his head, "It ain't my nevermind, anyway. Just follow this street about a mile and you'll find Meeker. Turn left. You'll get there eventually." Maria nodded her thanks, slightly worried about the vague distances. As she started to turn, the man smiled and said, "And don't ferget your bag there in the tree." Maria gulped and gave the man a sheepish half-smile. She was definitely going to need to be more careful.

As soon as she began walking again, Maria became aware of the chafing of her borrowed boots on the top and bottom of her heels and on top of her toes. The rest of the clothing had fit passably well, but the boots were two sizes too big for her feet. She might have been fine, but the running had accelerated her discomfort and now those spots felt raw. Maria wanted to cry, but she remembered an incident with Kyoko. The golden-eyed girl had been working with several others to load cooking supplies when she yelped. Her arm had been impaled by a long, thin sliver of wood from one of the wooden crates. Setting the crate down carefully, Kyoko had carefully extracted the sliver. She walked to the wagon and took out a bottle of something which she used to dampen a handkerchief, which she then used to wipe the wound. Then, without any further fuss, she picked up the crate again and continued to work for the rest of the day. Any other girl in Maria's experience would have whimpered and wailed and demanded a day of bed rest. Maria steeled her resolve and continued walking.

She had walked about a quarter of a mile when she heard a wagon coming down the dirt road behind her. She stepped aside, welcoming the respite because her blistered feet were weakening her resolve. She looked up as a familiar voice said, "Hey, kid! The Boss is sending me for supplies. Hop on and I'll drop you on the way."

Maria looked at the man's face once more to gauge his trustworthiness. Once again his open and honest face reassured her. "Thanks, mister." Moving as quickly as her screaming feet would allow, she walked up to the wagon and climbed up to the seat besides the man. "I'm very much in your… I'm obliged." Maria cringed at the slip of her tongue. The man had clearly caught her sophisticated turn of phrase, but his only response was to raise an eyebrow.

They rode on in silence for a few more minutes before the man spoke, "Me, I'm from North Carolina, Albermarle County or thereabouts. I weren't much older'n you when I decided to go west. Y'see, my family sharecropped and we worked from risin' t' settin' sun, and never the work was done. I figerred that I could do better fer myself out here. But as you see, I'm still a laborer, still workin' still the same. A man… or a boy, without an education ain't got much in the way of chances."

Maria understood immediately what the man was doing. He might have said, in his quaint way, that she wasn't his "nevermind," but he was making it his business. She warmed to him and wanted to find a way to reassure him while still keeping him from thwarting her own plans. They rode on in silence again until Maria finally said, "I'm not running away, Sir. I'm just catching up with my grandfather." She had to remember each time she spoke to keep her voice a little deeper.

He turned his head and regarded her, and then looked back to turn the wagon down Meeker Street. "And your Ma and Pa?"

Maria didn't have to pretend the huskiness in her voice this time as she replied, "My mother's dead. My father blames me." The man didn't react right away. He seemed to consider her words for a while. Finally, he said, "Folks handle grief in different ways. My Ma died o' Typhus when I was just ten. Pa cried a lot afore she died… an' didn't allow nary a tear after. But then he near to worked himself and all of us to death. I know he didn't hat us… he just couldn't see past Ma's dyin'."

Neither spoke for the remainder of the trip, until they neared the livery stable. Worried that she might be recognized, she asked him to halt the wagon fifty feet away. Thanking the man, she grabbed her valise, but the man halted her with a hand, "Wait one," he said gently. Maria watched him cautiously as he stuck his left hand in his pocket and extracted something. He extended the hand, palm-down, toward Maria. Not knowing what to expect, Maria put her hand under his. He pressed something smooth and hard into her hand and said, "I don't have much in the way of money, but an old timer once gave this to me when I started out on my own journey. Now I'm passing it on to you." He lifted his hand away and Maria saw that she was holding a worn-looking pocket knife. "That's been with me since I was eleven. Bin a great help to me at times. You take good care of it and it will do the same for you. You take care."

Maria, at a loss for words, could only nod and grin in gratitude. Her feet screamed at her as she hopped to the ground and the wagon was already in motion before she could recover. "Wait!" She yelled out. The wagon halted and the man looked back at her. He waited. "What's your name, Mister?"

"My name is Todd, little man; Todd Middleton."

"Thank you, Todd Middleton. And God bless you." Todd nodded, shook the reins, and the wagon was off again. Maria watched the man go, reverently put the knife in her pocket, and walked to behind the stable. She heard movement and immediately she was surrounded by a multitude of blond-haired children.

Maria was relieved to see the Ogatas, but everyone spoke at once, "Where were you!" "We were so worried!" "Kino rode back and said he saw you running, but he couldn't find you!" "Oh, your hair! A woman's hair is her glory, Mariah! How could you!"

Maria made shushing sounds just as they heard a horse gallop up. A moment later footsteps were heard running around the stable towards them. A boy, tall for his eleven years with his father's fine features, ran up to Maria and grabbed her hands, "Maria! I was so worried! I saw you, but then you were gone and I've ridden everywhere! Are you okay?"

Maria hoped that the dust from her trip was sufficient to hide her blush. She nervously withdrew her hands and replied, "I had to run because the conductor grabbed me. He thought I was a thief. I got a little lost, but a nice man helped me." She took a step to the side and winced, "Oww. My feet are all blistered from these boots! I'm going to have to get another pair my own size."

Mimi, the second oldest and closest to Maria's age frowned in worry as she helped her friend unlace the offending boots, "I don't see how, Maria. We looked through all of ours for ones that would match and there weren't none."

"Then I'll have to buy a pair. I did see a pair in Grueber's Emporium for four dollars. I'll buy those," Maria proclaimed with determination.

Kino scratched his head, but then he blushed and turned away as his sister removed Maria's boots and exposed her feet. With his back still turned, he said, "Where are you going to get four dollars?"

Maria sighed, leaned over, and opened the top of her valise. Reaching inside, she lifted the wax paper package and revealed the contents. All of the girls gasped in horror and then made conciliatory noises. Kino even hugged Maria, but Maria only looked back with pure determination, "It's only hair. But it will buy me those boots so that I can go west. Hair will grow back." Maria only hoped that she could convince herself.

She did a good job until the Ogata children hid her in their wagon that night. After darkness set in and the excitement of the day wore off, she cried as she ran her fingers over the mess that had once been her "glory." Mimi, who was laying next to her, hugged her until they both fell into sleep.

**oOoOOoOo**

Sho Fuwa let his hand drift to his pistol. It lingered there as the teen gave serious consideration to shooting the snoring man in the bunk next to his. Sho was sleeping, or attempting to sleep, in the common room of the Westward Hotel and Saloon. He had always had a room there up until this past few days, but now his funds were gone and Shouko Aki was no longer willing to carry his debt. She was disgusted with him for what he considered to be a rather ridiculous reason.

Shouko Aki had been the only witness to his fight with Kyoko. Personally he thought that his childhood friend had overreacted, but Shouko had also been unimpressed. Whereas before he had enjoyed an amicable relationship with her, now she was treating him like a pariah. Still, she had broken up the argument which had almost resulted in a gunfight with that annoying Army sergeant, Reino. Sho was positive that Reino and his two cohorts at the table had cheated, but he couldn't prove it. Reino had deliberately bated Sho, as if spoiling for a fight. But the man had a reputation for using foul tricks, even in a duel, and Sho was holding back his anger.

When their argument was at its highest peak, Shouko Aki had suddenly appeared behind the boys with a shotgun cocked. Her bartender, Zebediah, was standing by with a second shotgun. She place the weapon right at the back of Sergeant Reino's head and spoke with ice in her voice, "Now, you boys know that I run a peaceful establishment here. If you want to spoil for a fight, you can just drop your cards and go find another place to play." Sho was ashamed of getting help from a woman, but he also felt a certain amount of glee from the fleeting look of terror in the sergeant's face.

That had taken place three days before, and it had somehow been the catalyst for restoring Sho's rather tentative friendship with the hotelier. Since then he had begun working behind the bar and even singing to help pay off his debts, keep a roof over his head, and provide himself with the occasional stake at a poker table.

The man next to Sho snorted loudly in his sleep, kicked off his thin blanket and scratched one socked foot against another. The stench of the man's unwashed socks proved too much for Sho and he threw off his own blanket and stomped out onto the front porch. It was still dark but well into the wee hours of the morning, but Shouko Aki was sitting on the bench on the long porch of the hotel. Sho expelled a steamy breath and grunted out, "Good morning. What are you doing up at this hour?"

Shouko looked at him silently for what seemed like several minute before scooting over and patting the bench beside her and saying, "Sit."

Sho sat, and another long period of silence ensued. Sho was just drifting off to sleep again when Shouko spoke again. She didn't look directly at him as she said, "There's going to be war soon."

Sho nodded, though he didn't know or even notice if Shouko saw him. Missouri had been the hotbed of the conflict between north and south since the turn of the century, and each year the two sides were becoming more and more vociferous in their arguments. In many places, including right here in St. Louis, people had drawn weapons over the issues of slavery, state's rights, and the balance of power in Washington. Tensions were continuing to mount and now it seemed to be only a matter of time before it would all boil over.

"I'm considering heading west; get a fresh start. Zebediah wants to buy me out. I was thinking that Oregon doesn't sound too bad after all." As before, she seemed to be talking to the night.

Sho felt the thrill of the unknown, the pull of a promising adventure. Perhaps he should…

"Perhaps I'll spend a year or two in Boulder before going on to Oregon. Those gold-strike towns always have room for another hotel and saloon. I'll need a man who knows his way around a bar and is handy with a gun. I could make a fortune… with the right partner." Sho turned to plead his case and realized that this time she was speaking directly to him.

He paused a moment, collecting his words before saying, "I could be a good partner."

Shouko held his eyes in the dark before nodding, "You could, if you would grow up and stop gambling. I don't care for the way that you treated that friend of yours, but an honest cad is still better than a devious lout. I _think_ that I could trust you to play straight… and we could both get very rich."

For the first time in days, Sho felt like smiling.

**oOoOOoOo**

"Look at her! She's talking to him _again! _And she's actually telling him what he can and can't eat… as if she's his wife or something! As if Ren Tsuruga would ever look at someone as plain and common as _her_!"

Maria looked past the prattling hens to watch her big sister and Ren as they stood by the evening fire. It had been seven days since the journey began and the wagon train was drawing nearer to Independence. Everyone had assembled inside of the wagon circle and they were all sharing a common meal. Maria watched the pair under discussion and flinched. What she saw was a little different from what the girls saw. She had known Ren Tsuruga for five years and she had never once seen him with that look on his face. It made her heart race and ache at the same time. There was no doubt in her mind: he was falling in love with Kyoko Mogami.

Maria wanted to feel angry but instead all that she felt was emptiness and despair. After all, who knew better than she did just how special her big sister was? It wasn't only that they understood each other. There was more. Kyoko saw the deeper things that Maria saw. Kyoko was unfailingly kind. Kyoko never, ever shirked the hard or filthy tasks, and yet she almost never lost her smile. In Maria's eyes, her adopted big sister was her ideal and a very special person in her life. So it was only natural that Ren, who was also special, would see it all as well.

Maria heard something and turned her attention back toward the gossiping teen girls. Two of the girls, Erika and Ruriko, had separated from the others and had taken up seats on a log away from the crowd. They might have noticed Maria, but she looked like a small boy and was so ragged by this point that they paid her no attention. Her clothing was filthy and her hair looked even worse than before.

Each night she had slept with the Ogata children, but during the day she had needed to move from place to place to avoid being caught. This had afforded her the freedom to wander outside of the confines of the wagon train, and she made the most of it. During one of her forays she had accidentally wandered into a tar sand pit* and become mired. There had been several moments of pure terror, but she had managed to crawl out. By the time she had made it back to the camp the tar was hardening in her clothing and hair. The clothing had to be disposed of, leaving her with only one set. Her hair had to be cut off. When her scissors gummed-up and proved inadequate for the task, Kino had used his hunting knife.

Now, as she sidled closer to the two girls, Maria was grateful for the accident for the first time. The girls had their heads together, but Maria could still hear their words.

Ruriko loudly whispered, "I got the gilded hat-pins from the Stevenson's dresser. Did you get Mr. Harashima's pocketwatch?"

Erika frowned prettily, something she had probably practiced in front of her mirror for hours, "No, I tried, but he came back too soon. I did get Suzie Larkin's broach. That girl will throw a fit when she finds out that it's missing."

"I'd just bet she will," Ruriko allowed herself an evil grin, "The best part is that she was singing Kyoko's praises only yesterday. When she finds out that Kyoko is the thief…" Maria gasped when she heard this, causing the two girls to lift their heads and look around. She threw herself down behind a bush before they could catch sight of her and then backpedaled when she recognized what the bush was. After checking to ensure that she hadn't touched it, she returned her attention to the girls.

Erika smirked, "Okay, I saw Kanae helping the Robinsons and the Reinburgers. We need to find something valuable from each of them so that there's no doubt whatsoever that it was Kanae and Kyoko who committed the crimes." Maria wanted to jump up and scream for her grandfather to come and arrest these two… evil girls, but she couldn't afford to be seen and she knew that she would need proof anyway. But what could she do?

"Fine, I'll get something from those two wagons, but you have to get the pocketwatch," Ruriko insisted stridently, "You know how proud he is of that watch. I'll take these items and put them in their wagon. Tomorrow we should be close to Independence. I would bet Father's wagons that Lory Takarada will go ahead with Ren. That will be the perfect time to strike."

Maria watched the two girls part ways. As soon as it was safe she followed Ruriko to confirm her suspicions about where the loot was being hidden. She watched as Ruriko approached the wagon in which Kyoko and Kanae slept. Then she watched in surprise as Ruriko triggered a mechanism to reveal a hidden compartment under the wagon. Ruriko quickly stuffed the pilfered items into the compartment, closed it, and flitted away.

Maria stayed there in the shadows of a resting wagon, pondering her next step. She felt an irritation in her finger and scratched at it. When it didn't stop itching, she remembered the bush and grimaced. She had touched the poison ivy after all. Running back to the supply area where nobody was standing at the moment, she pilfered a handful of coffee, a little baking soda, and a small tin. Kneeling by the fires she quickly cooked the mixture, blew on it, and stuck her infected finger in. The relief was almost instant, but she kept her finger in the mixture for several minutes before she felt safe.

Maria walked down to the river in order the wash the tin and her hand as she once again pondered her next move. It was only when she looked at the wounded finger that the solution became obvious.

**oOoOOoOo**

"And just how exactly do you think that you are going to prove a lie like that!" Erika demanded confidently. "Look at you! You're a disgrace! Imagine, a _girl_ running away, cutting her hair, and dressing in boy's clothing! And to think that you're supposed to be from one of St. Louis' most distinguished families!"

Almost the entire wagon train had gathered by this point. They had been divided on their feelings concerning the accusations about Kyoko and Kanae. They had been astounded and outraged to see all of the personal, valuable items hidden in the secret compartment. Now, as they looked at this boy who was supposedly Lory Takarada's doll-like granddaughter, they didn't know what to think anymore.

Maria didn't lose her smile even for a minute as Erika spit out her insults. Instead her eyes took on the look of a cat who has cornered her prey. "I'm glad that I look like this, Ms. Koenji. You see, if I didn't look like this, I wouldn't have overheard your scheming with Ruriko Matsunai. If I didn't look like this, I wouldn't have followed her to this wagon to see _her_ opening the secret compartment and planting the evidence on Kyoko and Kanae. And, if I didn't look like this I wouldn't have had the chance to make it clear who the real thieves are."

Ruriko stepped forward as if to hit Maria, but she stopped short, "Lies! You're just making all of that up to protect the girl you call 'big-sister'. Nothing that you say can be trusted!" She gestured to the wagon compartment and sneered, "That is all the proof _we_ need." She jerked her hand back to scratch it again.

Kyoko and Kanae watched the exchange with as much fascination as everyone else. Kanae had allowed herself a moment of hope, but when she realized that her fate was in the hands of a 9 year-old girl, those hopes plummeted again. Kyoko, on the other hand, had been watching the proceedings with a slowly growing smile. She knew that the little girl had wreaked havoc at her boarding school with her masterful schemes, and she was completely at peace with the belief that Erika and Ruriko were wholly outclassed now.

Maria smiled widely as she loudly asked, "Are your hands itching, Miss Kyoko and Miss Kanae?"

Both young ladies glanced at their hands, at each other, and then back at Maria. Kanae answered for both as she said, "No… not at all." Even as she said it, both girls glanced at their accusers. As if on cue, Erika and Ruriko's itching hands grew worse and they couldn't resist scratching. Kanae's brows creased, and then her smile became as wide as Kyoko's.

Maria spoke again, "Are YOUR hands itching, Miss Koenji and Miss Matsunai?" The entire crowd looked at the two young ladies as they stopped scratching momentarily, and then had to start again. Maria raised her voice to be heard by as many as possible. "When I heard that these two girls were going to steal Mr. Harashima's pocket watch and something from the Robinsons and the Reinburgers," she paused as the three families processed that information, "I stole Mr. Harashima's watch first…"

Mr. Matsunai pushed through the crowd and yelled, "There! You see! We have a confession!" He somehow sensed that little Maria had something that would pin the crimes on his daughter and he needed to stop the proceedings as quickly as possible.

Shio Kurosaki stepped in front of the man, his tall form blocking him and his long arms stretched wide to command attention, "I don't know about the rest of you folks, but I would like to hear what this little lady has to say. So far it has been fascinating. Mr. Matsunai, you are out of order and you _will _step back." Kurosaki had the look of a very dangerous man. Matsunai was a bully, but he was also a coward. He stepped back.

Kurosaki turned to Maria and bowed in his most courtly manner, "Please proceed, Miss Takarada."

Maria graced him with a wide smile for his bow and then she curtsied in return… which made the crowd chuckle since she was still dressed as a ragged boy. "Thank you, kind sir. As I was saying, I stole Mr. Harashima's pocket watch, rubbed it with poison ivy, and then returned it only minutes before Miss Koenji showed up to steal it," the crowd gasped and every eye turned toward the two scratching girls. They glared at Maria and began looking for a means of escape. "I wanted to make sure that both of the thieves were caught, so I took grandfather's locket out of his wagon, treated it with poison ivy, and put in into Mrs. Reinburger's trunk. I was sure that Ruriko would steel that first because it is made of gold and…" she gave Mrs. Reinburger an apologetic look, "… I knew that it would be the most valuable item there." Mrs. Reinburger waved the potential insult away.

Maria walked over to Mimi Ogata, who handed her a pair of gloves. She then walked over to the secret compartment, fished around, and held up her grandfather's locket. She then bowed to the crowd and said, "I rest my case." Kyoko cheered and Kanae smiled in obvious relief. The two culprits' shoulders drooped even as they glared hatefully… and scratched.

"Oh, you may be done with this, Maria," a deep voice intoned, "But you will be doing a lot more explaining before the night is through." Every eye turned to see Lory Takarada, Sebastian, and Ren Tsuruga standing at the edge of the crowd.

* * *

><p><strong>Notes: <strong>Wow, that was a very long chapter. Todd Middleton will be present later in the story, so I needed to keep him in. As some reviewers have guessed, Sho will show his face again (okay, bad pun). As to the rest: On to Indepence!

Wolf spiders are poisonous, but not to humans. They are large and they are fast and they are frightening… which makes them just the right little critters for sweet, innocent little Maria to love.

Northwestern Missouri was riddled with tar sand pits which could be dangerous to the unsuspecting. The people who had them on their land hated them because they might lose cattle or pets to them… until people discovered to true value of oil. Then the people who owned land with sand tar pits became very happy... and very rich.

Coffee and baking soda was a frontier cure for poison ivy and is still one of the best camp-cures today. Cook coffee into a syrupy mixture. Add baking soda. Apply to affected areas.


	10. Independence

**Chase the Sun**

**Disclaimer:** I do not own SkipBeat or the story that this title makes allusion to. In the interest of creating a more western feel, some of the names of the main characters have been slightly altered.

**Chapter 10 – Independence**

_**St. Louis, the day of Maria's escape: **_

Todd Middleton looked back over his shoulder and watched as the boy walked around the corner of the main stable. When the boy had disappeared from view, he expelled a frustrated breath. That young puppy was headed west and here he was stuck making piddling wages building fancy homes for people who probably wouldn't give him the time of day after the homes were done. This certainly wasn't the life he had dreamed of when he ran away from North Carolina.

_That young'un's got a long, hard road ahead of him, but at least he's chasin' his dream._ That thought lingered with him for the rest of the long day as he worked steadily alongside the others in his crew to put the finishing touches on the framing for house number 47.

When Todd arrived back at the site on the following morning, he knew right away that something was wrong. Men were angry and shouting, kicking up dust and threatening the foreman. The man might have been in danger had he not been backed up by three of the biggest men Todd had ever seen. As he drew closer he heard the man speaking, "…not my doing, men. They're halfway to Colorado by now and they took the money with them. I coulda lit out too, but I thought you men deserved to know the truth."

Todd felt his heart sink. Ever since gold had been discovered in Colorado, men from all walks of life had been suddenly dropping everything to head west. The town of St. Louis was flooded with talk of the fortunes that had been made in California before that territory tapped out. Nobody seemed to recall that there were twenty times as many men who lost everything chasing the precious metal. When the boulder strike was announced, people wasted no time packing up and heading west in the hopes of repeating the miracle of '49. Now it seemed that the company owners, two partners, had run off as well… and probably with Todd's wages for the month.

The early-birds, robbed of their revenge and furious at the turn of events, spun around and stomped down the road past Todd. He stepped up and met Mr. Palmer's eyes, "They're gone?"

"That appears to be the case, Todd; the surveyor's gone too. I'm sorry lad. You've been a good, steady worker and you deserve better, but there's not much I can do about it." Todd couldn't begrudge this man. Unlike the arrogant partners and that drunkard surveyor, Mr. Palmer had treated his workers with respect.

Todd surveyed the worksite, "We have all of the equipment still. Couldn't we just keep working?"

"There isn't any money for material or wages, son. Truth is, I'm gonna be hard-pressed not to have solicitors breathing down my neck for the payments. I have to sell everything just to try and break-even."

Todd shook his head sadly, "I'm sorry, Mr. Palmer." He did feel bad for the man, but he was also beginning to understand his own dilemma. His rent would come due tomorrow. His pantry was nearly empty. He took a deep breath and expelled it before saying, "I guess I'd better go lookin' fer a new job. God be with you, Mr. Palmer."

He turned to leave, but halted when Palmer called after him, "Todd, just a moment."

He turned back and looked at his former foreman quizzically, "Yes?"

"It'd be much easier to get a good job if you show up with your tools. Pick out a wheelbarrow, a pick and shovel, and a hammer."

When Todd started to protest, Mr. Palmer said, "Take them. It should make up for this month's wages and it'll help you find a job. Just don't tell anyone I gave 'em to you. If they ask, tell them you bought the equipment."

Todd didn't argue further. The foreman was right: it would be easier to find a job if he had tools. Working quickly, Todd selected the best example of each tool, placed them in a good wheelbarrow, shook Palmer's hand, and headed back the way he came.

As he walked, Todd thought about the various sites in the booming city where construction was in-progress. He thought considered the different contractors and what he had heard about the foreman. His job wasn't the first that had been lost in the past month. Several other sites had been shut down as more and more people headed towards Colorado.

_West. That's where everyone is headed to make a new life for therselves. And here I am, stuck doin' the same old thing. _Todd's mind drifted back to the previous day and the young boy who was taking his big chance. Todd didn't believe that the boy was meeting his party, but he also hadn't believed that he had the right to stop the boy. _If'n he's got the gumption to strike out west, then who'm I ta stop him?_

He halted there in the middle of the street and replayed his own thoughts out loud, "That boy had got the gumption, then what happened to you Todd ol'boy?" He stood there for another minute, ignoring the other people on foot and horseback who went by him and looked at him as if he had lost his mind. When he broke out of his thoughts, Todd turned the wheelbarrow down a side-street and headed back towards his home. He was going to collect his things and he was headed west.

_**Independence, Missouri, on the day after the Takarada Wagon Train arrived**_

Kyoko muttered to herself as she walked past yet-another group of loitering young men who looked her over instead of stepping out of her way. Some talked silently among themselves and laughed, but a couple of the bolder ones called out to her. One man in his early twenties stepped off of the boardwalk that he and his cronies had been blocking so that he could intercept her, but she glared at him with such intensity that he shivered and turned back to rejoin his friends.

Kyoko knew that she had been foolish, leaving the train and venturing off independent of everyone else, but she needed a few important spices and sundries. She also needed time away from the rather intense feelings that seemed to invade her soul whenever she was too near to the tall scout, Ren Tsuruga, and her best friend was currently occupied searching for medical necessities with Doctor Kijima.

Kyoko would have even appreciated Maria's assistance, small as the girl was, since the girl had demonstrated wisdom beyond her years. Unfortunately, Maria was safely locked away in Independence's only fashionable hotel, awaiting a cable from her father in Boston. The poor girl had endured scolding, bathings, scrubbings, and more scolding from her grandfather, but she was still adamant about joining the wagon train. By now Kyoko felt that she knew the wagon train leader well enough to guess that the man was secretly proud of his granddaughter… not that he intended to let her know that.

"Kyoko Mogami?" Kyoko was startled to look up and see a beautiful, elegantly dressed woman looking at her. It took a moment, but then she recognized the woman as the owner of the saloon in St. Louis. She was so surprised to see the woman in Independence that she didn't remember to be embarrassed about their previous meeting. "Miss Shouko?"

The woman smiled tentatively. She obviously also recalled their previous meeting and she felt strangely guilty for her part in the incident, "Miss Mogami, I'm surprised to see you here. I assumed that you headed back east."

Kyoko lifted her chin with a touch of pride, "No ma'am. I am a member of the Takarada Train. We're headed to Oregon as soon as we replenish our supplies. Are you also headed west?"

"Yes, we're headed to Boulder. There's always the need for another hotel and saloon in a boomtown."

"We?"

Shouko Aki hesitated, but then she nodded, "Yes, we. I've asked Sho Fuwa to be my partner. It is a rough area, so it is always wise to have someone who is good with a gun to discourage trouble-causers."

"I see," Kyoko felt the rush of anger and sadness sweep over her, but she schooled her expression so that the lady couldn't see it.

"Unfortunately," Aki Shouko said with a note of exasperation in her voice, "Our wagon train leaves in an hour and Sho is nowhere to be seen. If you see him, could you send him my way?"

Kyoko blanched, "I sincerely hope that I don't see him, Miss Shouko."

The gorgeous lady smiled sadly, "I understand. I sincerely apologize for any minor part I played in that scene, Miss Mogami… And I wish you well on your journey."

Kyoko returned her farewell and then both ladies went their separate ways.

Ten minutes later, after several more failed attempts to locate the goods she needed, Kyoko turned a corner and heard a ruckus. One look told her that there was a scene taking place in front of one of the many tent-cities erected around the perimeter of the once-quaint little town. There was a large group of people gathered around to watch several men sitting at a table. _They must be gambling, _Kyoko thought. She usually preferred to avoid such gatherings, but the flash of something familiar made her step up and push through the throng.

As she suspected, there was her childhood friend, playing Poker. From the small pile of coins in front of his seat and the look of disgust on his face it was clear that he wasn't doing well. Kyoko looked at the others and saw that a blue-coated, dangerously handsome young officer had a nice stack of money, as did several others. "Read 'em and weep," one scruffy-looking man said as he laid down a royal flush. The others threw down their cards in disgust, but Kyoko noted that only Shotaro seemed to be truly upset. _It's your own fault, you fool. Gambling never…_

Kyoko saw a look pass between several of the other players, including the officer. As the cards were dealt again, she watched the men carefully. She never played cards, but she had an amazing eye for detail. _There!_ She saw the player who was dealing pull a card from the bottom rather than from the top. She watched again and… _there!_ "They're cheating!"

Every eye turned toward Kyoko. Only then did she realize that she had spoken aloud. Several hostile men stood from the table, but the sergeant and Sho remained seated. Sho looked over and his eyes widened, "Kyoko, I thought you went back east!"

"I did not! I chose to go west and make my own way, no thanks to you."

The game forgotten for a moment; Sho scoffed, "Go home, Kyoko. The west is no place for a plain, boring nobody like you. It isn't safe!"

"I'll go where I choose and when I choose. You no longer have any say in the matter. You don't even have the common sense not to sit down at a poker table with people who are cheating you!"

"Now just a minute, Missy," the scruffy looking man growled. He stepped forward as if to grab Kyoko, but the sound of a falling chair and the cocking of a pistol silenced everyone. "Keep your hands off of her, Smith." Sho's voice was cold and dangerous now. The man stepped back. Sho kept his gun pointed at the man while sweeping the others with his glare, "I suspected that this was fixed. Now I know. I'll just take my money and…"

"Do you really think that I'll let you do that?" The officer asked without any trace of emotion.

"Reino, you may think that you're pretty handy with that gun on your hip, but we both know who's faster," Sho sneared "If it was just you and me, without your little followers, then you'd be dead before your hand even touched your weapon. Now I'm going to take what belongs to me by right, and I'm going to take my girl…"

"You're not 'taking your girl' anywhere, Shotaro," the men snickered at the girl's use of Sho's full name. She had fire in her eyes. "I am not _your girl_, nor will I ever be." She nodded her head towards the men, "Good day to all of you." With that she wheeled and walked briskly away.

Sho was furious, but he kept his pistol steady until he had gathered the approximate amount he started with and walked away in the opposite direction of Kyoko.

"Are you really gonna let that girl and that guttersnipe get the best of you, Reino?" the scruffy scout demanded.

"All in good time, Gents. If we finish off everything here in Missouri, then what fun will we have on the trail? Besides, I think that I might have a little fun with that bit of lace." Reino looked down the street where Kyoko had disappeared. He could almost taste the power of hatred emanating out of her. It was exhilarating.

"She doesn't seem like your type, Sergeant," another soldier interjected. "I thought you liked the busty, mature ones."

"She's not, but Fuwa obviously cares about her, so that makes her a good tool for torturing him." He rose from the table, ignoring his cards and his remaining money, "I think that I'll go for a stroll."

**oOoOOoOo**

Ren Tsuruga took steady aim and waited for a clear target as the herd moved through the underbrush. Behind him, back a good twenty yards, Yashiro watched the near-legendary man as he and his horse sat as still as any statue in Rome. Yashiro felt a sneeze coming on and he scrunched his nose in an attempt to stave it off. He knew that any movement might alarm the herd of antelope, so he tried desperately to _will_ his nose and lungs to cooperate.

Then a stray swirl of wind sent a small tuft of dust up into his face. In an instant his nasal passages contracted and Yashiro sneezed explosively. There were two loud reports of Ren's rifle before Yashiro could even gather his wits enough to look up. When he did, his eyes met the glare of the younger man, "Yukihito, why do you insist on coming along on these hunts?"

Yashiro grinned sheepishly, "I don't want to miss the action. Who knows what might happen."

"The _action_, as you describe it, just ran away."

Yashiro looked over at the underbrush, "Well, you did manage to shoot two."

"Two antelope will barely make a dent in our needs, Yukihito. I'm going to need to enlist some serious help if we ever hope to keep this train fed. We'll need to preserve our dried goods for as long as we can, so game will be our primary source of food for the foreseeable future… providing that _someone_ doesn't keep frightening it all away."

Yashiro dismounted to join Ren as they both began the work of gutting the kills. Over the past week Yashiro had become increasingly immured to the task, but he knew that he would never like it. To distract himself even further, he said, "I wonder what she's doing right now? I know that she wanted to go into town to make a few purchases."

Ren knew his companion's devious tricks now, so he didn't reply. Having failed in his first attempt, Yashiro casually commented, "You don't suppose that she would go into town alone, do you? I know that Kanae is with the doctor… so who do you suppose…"

Ren glared at the man, but the question lingered in his mind. _She wouldn't be that foolish, would she? _As the minutes ticked on, he began to feel concerned. Working quickly, he completed his own carcass and moved over to assist Yashiro with his. With deft slices the work was done quickly, the antelope were tied to the rumps of the horses, and the two men were on their way toward Independence again.

**oOoOOoOo**

Sho Fuwa was fuming as he stomped down the dirt road towards the wagons that he and Aki Shouko were soon to drive west. A look at the sun told him that he had lingered at the gambling table too long, and he ground his teeth. He did not wish to endure the scolding of another female right at the moment. Instead he turned and slipped into the nearest saloon.

Seated at the table nearest the door, he saw two of the that cheat Reino's flunkies walking along. He was tempted to confront the pair, but the sun was hot and he didn't really care to leave his comfortable chair. The two men stopped near the door and continued a conversation they had been having. "I thought the Sergeant liked full-figured women."

"Sure he does. Like he said, that little bit of lace used to belong to Fuwa. You know how much Reino enjoys tormenting the kid. What better way than to go after his girl?"

Sho was out of his seat and out the door before he could think it through. "What did you just say?"

The scruffy scout lounged on a wooden chair in front of the saloon. The other man, one of Reino's privates, stood leaning against a support pole. The scout was the one who answered. He spat chew at Sho's boots and said, "What I said ain't none of yer business. Sergeant Reino will settle…" He stopped speaking as the barrel of Sho's Colt pressed between his forehead. The private stepped forward to intervene, but fast as lightening Sho reared the weapon back, striking the butt of the pistol on the side of the private's temple and returning the weapon to its former position before the young man could collapse to the boardwalk.

"Now," Sho said through gritted teeth as he pressed the end of the barrel against the scout's forehead, "answer my question."

"The sergeant, he… he followed that girl. That's all I know!" The man was clearly terrified now.

"Where? Which direction?" Sho said, icy terror running through his veins.

The scout pointed to his left with one shaking arm, "That way… honest!" Before he could say any more, Sho's fist struck him in the jaw. Sho was already halfway down the boardwalk as the man slid off of his chair.

**oOoOOoOo**

Kyoko was finally in luck. She found everything that she still needed on her list, though she had to pay far more than she had anticipated for the items. She felt guilty spending Takarada's money like this, but the man had been insistent. As she stepped out of the mercantile store she was greeted by several of the ladies from the train. Now that her and Kanae's names had been cleared several of the females of the train who had previously avoided her were finally beginning to warm up to her.

While she was speaking with them she began to feel distinctly uncomfortable, but she couldn't quite isolate the source of the feeling. She excused herself from the ladies, gathered her bags, and headed back towards the wagon train. The feeling didn't go away; instead her disquiet increased in intensity until she felt certain that she was being followed. Several quick glances back revealed nothing, but her disquiet increased.

And then, as she glanced back, she suddenly crashed into someone. Strong hands grabbed her and she jerked her head up to herself in the grasp of the dangerously handsome sergeant from the poker game. With a squeak she tried to pull away, but he held fast. "Where are you going, little miss?" He asked in a sultry, menacing voice.

"Back to the wagon train. Now, if you'll please…" Kyoko tried to push away, but to no avail. When she looked up at his face she found that the sergeant's eyes were somehow mesmerizing her. She wanted to pull away, to fight; but she couldn't

"Now I don't see the need to hurry. I was hoping to spend time with you. You intrigue me with all of that delicious anger. It makes me want to get to know you better." Reino released one hand to reach up and touch Kyoko's hair, but she couldn't find the will to pull away. "There are so many things that I'd like to…"

"Get . Your . Hands . Off. Of . Her." A murderous voice instructed even as a pistol pressed against Reino's temple. Reino released Kyoko and she, now that the odd spell was broken, stepped back quickly. Sho barely glanced over, not taking his eyes off of the sergeant. "Get your stuff together and head back the way you came from, Kyoko. Better yet, go back east where you belong. You have no business out here."

Sho's condescending tone was the perfect balm to soothe Kyoko's frayed nerves. In a moment she had regained her full senses, and with them her anger. "I'm going west, Sho. I'm going to make a name for myself and years from now, when you come crawling to me to bail you out, I'll shut the door in your face… thank you for helping. Good day." And then Kyoko walked briskly away.

Sho Fuwa turned his full attention back on the skinny sergeant, "Now we'll see how you do when there's no one else to help you…"

**oOoOOoOo**

"I don't know what her connection is with the Kid, but he addressed her _by name!" _one female voice gossiped.

Another voice joined in, "And that other one, the good-looking sergeant… I swear that man was going to kiss her right there in the middle of the street. And her just standing there!"

Ren paused from the act of cleaning his rifle to glance over at Yashiro, "What are they talking about?" The pair of hunters had returned to the camp earlier, but Ren's worries over Kyoko were alleviated when he saw her walking quickly into camp. She had been flushed and distracted, but at least she was safe. When he had greeted her, she had acted sheepish, as if she didn't wish to be in-company, so Ren had left her to her own tasks.

"I… I couldn't say," Yashiro answered cryptically.

Ren picked up on the careful wording and faced the man fully. "Yashiro?"

Yashiro fidgeted again, but wouldn't look up at the taller man. Once again, this time with Ren's perfect gentleman's smile, he said, "Yashiro?"

"Okay, fine: Kyoko went out alone to find a few items. She walked clear across town. While she was out she was accosted by this man named Sergeant Reino. Another man, someone who seems to know Kyoko, saved her. If the ladies who saw it all were right, then it was the Fuwa Kid." The entire explanation was out in less than thirty seconds. It took Ren a full minute and a half to make sense of it.

As luck would have it, Kyoko chose that moment to appear with food for both men. Yashiro mumbled a guilty thanks, but Ren held Kyoko's eyes while he took the food and asked, "So you were accosted by a Sergeant Reino and then saved by your good friend, Sho Fuwa?"

Kyoko flinched, "Well yes… and no… Shotaro is not my fr…"

"So you went out into town completely by yourself?" Ren asked with a tight expression. Kyoko could actually feel anger emanating from the man and it made her skittish.

Kyoko started to apologize, but Ren set the food down and said, "I'm glad to hear that you have a protector. I guess that you won't be needing my help anymore. Good night, Ma'am."

And with that, Ren Tsuruga stalked off into the dark.

* * *

><p><strong>Notes:<strong> Sorry for the long, long delay on this update. I took on too much at once and something had to suffer… of course it hasn't been as long as _The Shadow's Heart_, but that is another story. No promises on when this will be updated again. I'm trying to finish _Hidden in Plain Sight_ first.

You'll find out more about what happened to the two trouble-causing ladies and their families in the next chapter... as well as what will happen with Maria.


	11. Angst, Revelations, and Confrontations

**Chase the Sun**

**Disclaimer:** I do not own SkipBeat or the story that this title makes allusion to. In the interest of creating a more western feel, some of the names of the main characters have been slightly altered.

**Chapter 11 – Angst, Revelations, and Confrontations**

_**Independence, Missouri: **_

_Ren set the food down and said, "I'm glad to hear that you have a protector. I guess that you won't be needing my help anymore. Good night, Ma'am."_

_And with that, Ren Tsuruga stalked off into the dark._

Yashiro saw Kyoko's horrified expression as Ren disappeared into the night. He wanted to stop the man, smack him on the side of the head, and tell him to go back and make things right… but he was just as taken aback by Ren's boiling fury as Kyoko was. Kyoko continued to stare off into the darkness for several more minutes before she shook herself and returned to her cooking tasks like someone in a nightmarish daze. Yashiro watched her sympathetically until everyone was served and then he stepped in to help her to collect any of the utensils that belonged to the chuck wagon.

Kyoko looked at Yashiro listlessly, as if to protest, but then she continued about her tasks with machine-line movements. Finally, when everyone else had drifted back to their own wagons or to the main fire, he spoke, "Kyoko… may I ask a question?"

Kyoko nodded listlessly.

"Why was this Sergeant Reino following you… and why did Fuwa the Kid rescue you?" Yashiro cringed at his own impolitic boldness, yet his writer's curiosity, and his concern for the budding relationship between his two friends, pushed him on.

Kyoko sighed, "The sergeant probably followed me because I saw him cheating at cards and I spoke up. Shotaro probably followed him because he wanted to make the man pay for trying to cheat. I just got in the middle of it all."

Yashiro noticed, not for the first time, that Kyoko never even considered the idea that the two men might have been interested in her. He wondered how she could be so oblivious to her own natural appeal. Then his mind fixated on another detail, "You called the Kid 'Shotaro.' Does that mean that you know him?" He wanted to ask if the two might have been in some sort of relationship, but the immediate drop in temperature and the eerie, dangerous feeling emanating from her after the other question made him stop.

"We were once… childhood friends. That was a long time ago and now he is the most despicable, vile man on earth. Do you have any more questions?" There was a fire of hatred pouring out of Kyoko's eyes that caused Yashiro to step back.

"Ummm… nooo…. You have a good night, Miss Mogami… I have to go now." And with that he made his escape.

The following day was tense in many different ways. Boosters for several different routes west were harrying the wagon train, trying to drum up volunteers.

Matsunai, furious at having been made to look like a fool by Takarada and the man's granddaughter, was quick to switch to the southern route. Not content with just leaving on his own, he was actively moving through the camp, spewing out his vitriol against Takarada. Since he had been made to look like a fool over the issue of the two young ladies, he chose to focus instead on the fact that three families of ex-slaves were lingering out on the plains, waiting to join.

This argument worked well on about one-fourth of the total group who had departed St. Louis with the train. They made a grand show of their departure, but most of those who remained said "good riddance!" It didn't have any adverse effects on the total numbers because other families and singles were petitioning to join. Most of these had travelled here from north or south independently, hoping to find a wagon train to join up with before tackling the frontier. They were eagerly accepted.

Kanae and Kyoko were kept busy all day, re-stocking, re-packing, and reassessing for the beginning of the long journey into the plains. Kanae could sense Kyoko's discomfiture, but she knew better than to intervene. She had also heard the rumors, though she had no doubt that Kyoko was the innocent party to everything. She found it remarkable that so many handsome men gravitated towards Kyoko, but even more interesting that Kyoko was completely oblivious about the attention being poured out on her.

Kanae did sense that Ren Tsuruga was interested in Kyoko, and for some reason this man made Kanae's hackles rise. She never considered for a moment that she might be afraid of the tall man stealing her best friend away. She was, however, aware that the man seemed to have a much greater impact on Kyoko than any of the other men… and she knew that he had done something to make Kyoko miserable.

Perhaps it was this that caused her to place herself in front of Ren's horse that late afternoon. Ren was startled, and Jesse reared up. When the big man had settled his horse down, he turned to confront the woman who stood there with her fists on her hips, glaring at him. "What can I do for you, Miss Kotonami?"

"You can't do a thing for me, but you can fix whatever you did to Kyoko," Kanae half-snarled.

Ren felt his temper rising. All day long he had been fighting back the fierce feelings of jealousy that boiled under the surface. In the past five years he had managed to gain control over the raging emotions of his teen years. Now that golden-eyed girl was breaking down all of his carefully constructed barriers and bringing out the monster underneath. He forced his voice to remain calm as he replied, "I don't know that I have anything to do with Miss Mogami's situation. Maybe you should ask…"

"Bull!" Kanae said, not even flushing at her very un-ladylike use of such a vulgar term, "I don't know what Kyoko feels about you as a man, but as a person she has deep and probably undeserved respect for you. She holds you in the highest esteem. So when you dismissed her and wouldn't even listen to her version of what took place yesterday, you stepped on her soul and crushed it. Friends don't do that, _Mister Tsuruga._"

Despite the fury in her delivery, those last words struck home. Ren finally realized that his actions might have caused pain to Kyoko, and that was inexcusable. _Damn my temper! It's starting all over again._

He met Kanae's blazing sapphire eyes and softly replied, "I'll speak with her, Miss Kotonami." Then, before turning Jesse so that he could return in the direction he came from, he commented, "You are a good friend to her. Thank you."

Kanae was too dumbfounded to form a reply before he had ridden off.

**oOoOOoOo**

Sergeant Reino groaned as some anonymous barmaid dabbed at his bruises and cuts with a wet cloth. His corporal sat beside him, waiting for a reply. Reino pushed the girl away and sat up, grimacing. "No, of course we can't join the train now. It wasn't a workable solution in the first place. Instead we'll head out into the grasslands and do a little of our own exploring. Surely there are some renegade bands who are up for a little mayhem if we offer the right incentives."

Reino had over $100 dollars in gold along with whiskey and other trade items. With all of that he could make sure that Takarada's wagon train enjoyed plenty of mishaps along the way. "Did you find out where that moron with a gun is?"

The corporal chose not to mention that "that moron" had been the one who put Reino into this condition. "Rumor is that his boss-lady wants to join Takarada's wagon train."

"Well, well…" Reino mused, "So he can't seem to stay away from his little golden-eyes after all. Interesting relationship those two have." He closed his eyes and tasted her anger again like the sweetest honey. "We'll definitely have to keep that wagon train company, now won't we?"

**oOoOOoOo**

Yashiro saw Ren dismounting from his horse and walked over to him. He had been intending to speak with the man all day, but the tall scout was always on the move. Now he wanted to speak his peace… but before he could do so, Kyoko stepped out from between two wagons with several vegetables in her arms. "Auuugh…" she exclaimed, and then hung her head to pass in silence.

Ren spoke up, "Miss Mogami, I apologize for my earlier attitude. Although I still feel that going into town by yourself was foolish and dangerous, I don't see how you could be blamed for getting in the middle of a struggle between that sergeant and the gunfighter. Still, please remember in the future that you are an essential part of this company, and if you get injured, it will be a burden on those who have come to depend upon you."

Yashiro was frustrated with Ren's cold words. He was hoping for some confession of jealousy… or better yet, for Ren to declare his feelings and stake his claim. But then he saw Kyoko's almost-tearful relief, "Yes, Mr. Tsuruga, I'm sorry. I didn't mean to be so irresponsible with my actions. In the future I will try not to be so foolish."

Kyoko felt her spirit lift for the first time all day and she could finally breathe right again… until Ren spoke one more time, "Though I must confess to being confused about that Fuwa kid. He isn't normally the type to care about anyone, even damsels in distress. Does he know you somehow?"

Both Yashiro and Kyoko froze, unable to find the right words. Kyoko's eyes drifted over to Yashiro, as if to ask if he had already told the taller man what he knew… but Yashiro shook his head. Kyoko knew something of the often-discussed rivalry between the scout and her childhood friend… though she didn't know if they had ever actually met. Still, she sensed quicksand ahead. _Well, best to tell the truth…_

"Ummm… Mr. Tsuruga," a female voice interrupted. All eyes turned to see Itsumi Momose standing there. She and her family were one of the new arrivals and she was already making friends with both Kanae and Kyoko. But it wasn't her presence that caused everyone to freeze… because beside her stood a tall, blond gunslinger who was sneering at the group. "This gentleman was looking for Kyoko and… well… I thought that she might be in this area. I apologize if I am interrupting…?"

"Don't worry about interrupting _him_," Sho declared with a final appraising look before he turned his focus on the tall man by Kyoko. It rankled him to discover that the famed "two-gun Tsuruga" was actually four inches taller than him… and just as good looking as people declared. Still, Sho didn't think that the man was _that_ good looking… but he didn't like his proximity to Kyoko for some reason. "I'm sure that he has some important scouting duties to perform to keep us all safe. Meanwhile, I wanted to talk with Kyoko."

Ren took an immediate and fervent dislike to this young punk; not the least because of his casual familiarity with Miss Mogami's first name. He turned to speak to Kyoko and found her glaring balefully at the boy, "Shotaro, I don't know why you are here, and I don't care. This is wagon train territory only. Not a place for useless gamblers and petty gunslingers."

Sho's temper immediately flared and he snapped back, "Hah! Like a plain, boring little snippet like you has any business on a wagon train going west! Why don't you go home where you belong and leave the west to people who are actually equipped to handle it!"

"Yeah, right! Like you? If it weren't for me you would already be in debtor's prison or hanging from the end of a rope, you little…" Kyoko stopped herself when she caught the smoldering anger of the man beside her. This was precisely the type of situation she had wanted to avoid.

Ren was shocked at the fierce argument, and even more bothered by the familiarity with which the two of them argued. Whoever this boy was, Kyoko obviously had history with him. "Miss Mogami," he began in his cold, steady voice, "How… exactly… do you know this man?"

Sho looked back and forth between the pair… _No! He corrected himself, not a pair… _Then he saw his own advantage in this. Obviously his rival was interested in Kyoko… though that didn't make sense… and was unaware of his history with her. "What, are you the only person who doesn't know?" He doubted anyone but Shouko Aki knew, but that didn't prevent him from taunting the man, "Kyoko and I go way back. In fact, we go clear back to our early childhood. Kyoko is my family's…" He struggled with the best word.

Kyoko beat him to it, "Servant, Shotaro! Just say it and get it all out there: I was the Fuwa's servant. I was raised in their hotel, cleaning their rooms, scrubbing their sheets, and cooking their food."

That wasn't quite what Sho had wanted to intimate, but he was still pleased at the shock in the big man's eyes. "That's right. So that means that she belongs to me…"

Kyoko blazed in fury, ready to attack the idiot, but Ren moved faster. In an instant his long legs took him right up to tower over the younger man, "This is the west, Kid. Whatever she might have been in Boston, she is free now." The menace that blazed from his eyes made Sho step back. His hand fell to his gun, but a click behind him made everyone pause and look up.

"Now boy, in these parts, if a man touches his gun, that means some pretty serious things," Kijima drawled, "And I, for one, don't have any intentions of patching anyone up or serving on a burial detail. So I suggest that you get that hand away from your gun."

Sho felt cold fear at what had almost taken place, but he only sneered and dropped his hand. "That's fine. This is a long trip and a lot can happen. I'll be seeing you, Kyoko." And with that he walked away.

Kyoko felt her hot anger cool into a cold knot in her stomach, but she managed to focus her eyes on the tall scout. His own anger seemed to have vanished and now he was looking at her with a question in his eyes. Kyoko glanced at Yashriro, who was the only other person still standing there, "I… I have to get the supper meal prepared. After that… if you wish… I'll tell you both the story"

That night, as Kyoko finished her tale and Yashiro uttered words of disgust at Sho Fuwa's behavior, Ren felt a cold knot in his stomach. What he heard… though she didn't ever say it directly… was that Kyoko had come west with the intention of marrying Sho Fuwa. That didn't work out, but the earlier argument did show that the man still held a place in Kyoko's mind. And now the man had joined their wagon train.

Ren was not happy about that; not one little bit.

* * *

><p><strong>Notes: <strong>Sorry, it has taken a long time for me to produce another chapter, and that isn't that good. I will attempt to do better in the future.

I dedicate this chapter, such as it is, to Jhiz, who inspired me with her western story and who got me back on the writer's track. Thanks.


	12. Across the Missouri and Platte

**Chase the Sun**

**Disclaimer:** I do not own SkipBeat or the story that this title makes allusion to. In the interest of creating a more western feel, some of the names of the main characters have been slightly altered.

**Chapter 12 – Across the Missouri and Platte**

Kyoko sat atop Princess as the slow-forming dawn brightened the mist. She breathed in the coolness of the morning to quell the emotions of yesterday and her rising excitement about the events of today that would propel them into the West. Up until this point there had always been the nagging fear that somehow something would interfere and that she would find herself shunted aside, unable to continue with the wagon train west. But now the day had arrived and soon she would be busy helping to assemble the wagons for their ferry-trip across the Missouri. This was truly a momentous day.

She heard him before she saw him, but soon Kyoko saw the tall man on his pale horse materializing out of the mist. Kyoko smiled tentatively, still unsure about how to greet the man who had seemed so angry for most of the previous day. He tipped his hat and spoke first, "G'morning, Miss Mogami. What brings you out by yourself at this early hour?"

"Oh, I just wanted to drink in the magic of the morning. After all, this is the day!" She smiled in such a cute manner that Ren's heart raced and he felt a sweat, despite the morning chill. He wanted to pull her off of her horse and into his arms. He wanted to kiss her right there and then. He wanted to…

He sighed and Kyoko immediately felt that she must have done something terribly wrong. Then he said, "Miss Mogami, are you out here completely alone… after what happened two days ago?"

Kyoko realized what the sigh must have been about and winced, "Sorry… I just woke up and had to find a place to breathe…"

"It's okay. Just remember…" he hesitated, then said it anyway, "I can only protect you if I know where you are. Where we are going can become very dangerous. Unless you want your childhood friend to…"

"NO! I mean… I don't even want him on this wagon train… and I don't need him to protect me…"

Ren wanted to ask "what about me?" but he didn't. Perhaps he was too afraid of the answer. "Well, since you are awake, we should probably get back there and get things moving. Even with the pullouts for the California Trail, we have over 200 wagons to get across the river."

"Yes, Sir," Kyoko smiled with a mock salute. They rode back down to the camp in a companionable silence.

**oOoOOoOo**

The ferries in Independence had considerable expertise and they managed to get every wagon across by mid-afternoon. Kyoko, Kanae, and most of the other "employees" worked with Takarada to re-organize the wagon train for the first short march away from the shore. Ren and several others stayed to help the Ishibashi's to get the cattle across.

When Ren had gotten the final bunch across and everything was settled with the ferrymen, he mounted Jesse and began to ride the perimeter to look for any problems. As he was riding, he heard voices and immediately recognized one of them as Kyoko. Concerned, but not wanting to ride right into trouble, he dismounted and walked quietly through the undergrowth until he could see the girl. She was standing in a clearing with Princess behind her, facing Sho Fuwa.

"So anyway… what I felt I needed to say was that despite the fact that I didn't really ask for your help and I didn't really want your help… you helped me to get away from that Sergeant Reino… so I should probably thank you."

Sho looked a little bewildered, "Was that supposed to be your thanks?"

"Of course… and now that it is taken care of, I wanted to emphasize that I won't need any further help. So that's it. Goodbye." She turned to go, and Ren felt the charged atmosphere. It made him feel like an outsider… like these two shared a history that he could never touch. He was even less enthused than before about this man being a member of the wagon…

"So now what? Now that Reino can't harm you any more, you just go on your merry way?" Sho asked bitterly.

Kyoko paused, her hand on Princess' neck, "I suppose that is correct… by the way… what did you do to that man?"

"I took care of it," Sho sneared, "Like a man takes care of things."

She wheeled, "Did you kill him? Shotaro, he's an Army sergeant! You could go to jail… or a firing squad… or…"

"I didn't shoot him, though I should have. I just used my fists to teach him a lesson."

"Why would you even get involved. I could have gotten away. Why would you even care? There wasn't any benefit to you. My last five dollars is long spent now and I won't have any more for a long time. You idiot, you could go to jail!"

"What might happen to me didn't even enter my mind. All I was worried about at that moment was you…" There was a sudden rustling in the underbrush and Ren's tall form stepped out.

He had reacted without thinking, not wanting to allow this two-bit gunslinger to confess his feelings. Now he felt foolish, but he covered it by saying, "Ah, there you are, Miss Mogami. We're marshalling the wagons and we need to get ready to move out."

Kyoko felt her entire body clench up in terror. After their previous discussions, the last thing that she wanted Mr. Tsuruga to see was her voluntarily meeting with her former friend-turned enemy. But before she could speak, Ren said, "I haven't had a bit to eat since the breakfast you made me first thing this morning… so I was hoping…"

"Oh!" Kyoko exclaimed, grateful for something to divert everyone's attention from this scene, "By all means. Let me get something together for you right away. I shouldn't have left my duties for something as unimportant as this anyway."

Sho watched this exchange with incredulity and felt anger at Kyoko's last words, but most of his attention was focused on the fact that Ren had "accidentally" stepped in to interrupt this personal moment. _Is this guy interested in my Kyoko? _He didn't consider the ridiculousness of his possessive attitude, he just reacted. He started to step forward to protest when Ren focused a winning smile on him. "Oh, it's you, Sho. Good, I wanted to thank you personally for protecting Miss Mogami for me. But please don't worry," and then his voice dropped slightly and there was the hint of threat in his tone. He even placed one large hand on Kyoko's slender shoulder, "because I'll make sure that she's safe from now on."

The two men stared daggers at each other until Kyoko's sweet, confused voice interjected, "Mr. Tsuruga… you don't need to thank him. After all, that sergeant only hassled me because of him; so it was his fault and that means that him stepping up to intervene was only restitution. It is illogical to be grateful to him… So for this situation, please don't be grateful to him, even through misunderstanding."

Both men stood there, stunned. Sho Fuwa had understood Ren's attempt to establish his ownership perfectly well, but Kyoko had been oblivious. Ren had expected her to misunderstand, as she did in all matters of love, but it still hurt. Worse, he knew from the conversation of the previous night that this two-bit gunslinger was the focus of Kyoko's hatred and need for revenge, and therefore occupied a larger place in Kyoko's mind than he did. He knew very well that love and hate are not opposites; indifference is the opposite of both love and hate. He would much rather have her be indifferent to Sho Fuwa than hate him.

He tried to smile, "Okay, then. About that meal?" Kyoko stopped her speech and walked with Ren towards the horses. But as she mounted, she spoke to Fuwa one more time, "So that we make things clear, Shotaro: I don't owe you anything. Period… And stop gambling with people like that sergeant… it only makes you look like more of an idiot."

Sho suppressed his smirk, knowing that he still held a place in her mind, even if that place was negative at the moment, "Not a problem, Kyoko. I wasn't expecting you to owe me anything. I did what I did because I wanted to." He left it at that for the moment. He saw her confused expression as Princess wheeled away and finally allowed himself that smirk. Then he called out, "And from now on the only person who I will allow to make me look like an idiot… is you!." _Think on that, Kyoko. And chew on that yourself and see how it tastes, Mister Tsuruga. Hah! She calls me by my given name… and I bet that just eats at you… _Sho mounted his own horse, tilted back his hat, and headed towards the wagon train.

He would have been happier if he couldn't still see Kyoko and that overly tall has-been riding so close together.

**oOoOOoOo**

Yukihito Yashiro saw the grimace of discomfort on Ren's face and asked, "What's wrong, Ren?"

Kijima laughed, "Interesting thing. I would have sworn that I saw Ren eating lunch with Kyoko… thirty minutes _after_ eating with us."

Ren scowled at the doctor, but he didn't make any other reply. Kijima prompted, "You know, we've got a long night of scouting ahead. You should just take a nap in one of the wagons. I recommend mine. An hour of rest would help you to be more alert this evening."

Ren groaned, rubbing his belly, and surprised both men by agreeing. Kijima followed him to the wagon with a grin on his face. He hadn't told Ren about his other arrangement. Ren rode up next to the rear of the wagon and lighted onto the step-up without even stopping Jesse's progress. Jesse would follow the wagon as faithfully as any dog until Ren awoke. Kijima's wagon was unlike any other because it was hard-shelled like a gypsy wagon and actually had a door. Ren opened the door and stepped in… only to find Kyoko already there, reading a book.

Kijima had been working to convince several of the young men and ladies, including Kyoko, that it benefitted the wagon train to have as many people trained on basic medicine as possible. Kyoko had been the first to agree, and since her duties were light in-between meals, she decided to ride in Kijima's wagon and read. She looked up to see Ren and immediately became concerned. "Is something wrong, Mr. Tsuruga?" She asked with alarm.

Ren was stuck. If he stepped back out, she would assume that he left because of her. If he claimed a stomach ache, then she would naturally assume that her meal had been the cause. He gave an inward sigh and said, "No… actually, I have night-duty and I decided that I needed to take a rest now."

"Oh!" Kyoko said, and immediately began gathering her books to leave.

Ren didn't want her to go, so he grabbed for the first idea he could think of. "Please stay… to be honest, you might be able to help me… you see, I haven't been sleeping well… uhhh… I left my special pillow in St. Louis and so I was hoping that you might help?" He gave her a look that was like a little puppy-dog and Kyoko was unable to deny him anything.

"H-how can I help?"

"Just sit there like that," Ren said. He couldn't believe his own audacity as he sat beside her on the bench and then lay down with his head on her lap. He felt Kyoko stiffen and he waited for the scream, or for her to jump up, or for her to slap him. She didn't. Instead she sat as stiff as a statue as he made himself comfortable and closed his eyes.

After several minutes she lifted her book and tried to read, but she was worried about hitting his head… so she rested one hand protectively on his forehead and let the book rest on top of that hand. Then she tried to read. She couldn't help but notice how soft Mr. Tsuruga's hair was. Without realizing that she was doing it, she began to softly stroke his hair. Only a little at first, then a little more. _He has such nice hair… _That was her last thought before she too drifted off to sleep.

She woke to find that the cowboy was still laying his head on her lap, but now he was looking up at her, studying her with those incredible blue eyes. For a moment she just stared back, taking in his handsome features. Then she jumped as she realized what she was doing. Her face reddened and she suddenly jerked, almost knocking Ren down.

With one swift, frightened movement she was out from under the man's head and out of the door. Ren sighed. He placed the discarded book under his head and drifted off to sleep again, fantasizing of a day when he might wake up every morning and see that pretty face.

**oOoOOoOo**

On the morning of their second day in Kansas, a single dark figure rode cautiously up a rise to meet Ren. Ren recognized Hosea Hatter right away and the two exchanged a friendly greeting. Hosea was an African-American trapper who had hunted with Ren several times. He spoke with the scout for several minutes, gauging the atmosphere of the train, and then whistled. The three families of ex-slaves rolled their wagons out of a hidden gulch where they had been waiting.

Though everyone in the wagon train had known of this addition, a few still grumbled. Lory Takarada, however, greeted the old trapper with an enthusiastic back-slap before introducing himself to the heads of the three families. By prior agreement, the wagons each took up the rear of a column. This was the dustiest spot, but they were latecomers and even Lory didn't dare slip them into the middle somewhere.

Kyoko, Maria and Kanae greeted the families cheerfully. Maria was riding with Kyoko for the first few hours and she was happy to meet the new children. The Ogata children also made an appearance, as did two other families. The rest basically ignored them. Hosea took up hunting duties under Ren. He proved to be an able provider from the first day, and he was a jovial man on the trail.

It was the other addition who appeared that day that would be remembered for many years. As the Ren, Yashiro, and Hosea crested a rise, they saw the odd image of a creature that was low and long in back, but tall in the front. As they drew closer they realized that it was a young man, no older than eighteen, pulling a loaded hand cart. He was moving at a steady, loping pace along the trail, whistling as he walked.

"Howdy, folks!" He said cheerfully as the scouts pulled up alongside him. "Name's Todd Middleton. You folks wouldn't happen to be part of the Takarada Wagon Train, would ye?"

"We are. I have to ask: were you planning on walking all of the way to Oregon like that?"

"Well, I took a barge up the Missouri to the other side of Independence, and then I figured that I might as well keep walking, lest I stop and get settled again like I did in St. Louis. I figured that you folks would catch up when you were ready."

Ren and the other two chuckled and welcomed the man. They figured that anyone who could push a hand cart across the continent would earn his way on the wagon train. Lory Takarada agreed, and was surprised when his little granddaughter rushed out of the crowd to jump in front of the new arrival. "Todd Middleton! I never expected to see you here!"

Todd looked at the little girl in a frontier dress, but with almost no hair, for a long second and then his eyes grew wide, "You was a girl! Why… if I'd known that I'd of never…"

Maria grinned, "That's why I didn't tell you. Do you want your knife back?"

Todd looked at the confused expressions around him and laughed, "Girlie, anyone with that much gumption needs a good pocket-knife. You keep that and someday, when you own half of Oregon, you jest remember that Ol' Todd gave 'er to ye."

That same evening, Todd sat at the common fire and told the story of his first meeting with Maria. Everyone laughed. It was his turn to laugh when they told him the story of the "Great Poison-Ivy Caper," as everyone now called it. Maria blushed when the young man admitted that it was Maria's own gumption that had been the final push for his own journey west.

Lory Takarada watched everything with interest and filed the information away for future reference.

**oOoOOoOo**

The wagon train progressed almost without incident for the next eight days. The pale city-dwellers sunburned and tanned. Feet blistered and then calloused. Bottoms became accustomed to the regular pounding of horses' backs and buckboard seats. On two occasions Ren's scouts observed Indian parties in the distance… but never made contact.

The rolling hills leveled out into continuous waving fields of grass. Many of the farmers on the wagon train discussed the possibilities of stopping right where they were, but they were advised strongly against it. The Pawnee, Sioux and Cheyenne all viewed the area as their hunting ground. It might be permissible to travel through, but no man would be safe who tried to settle it and plow the land. Everyone finally agreed. They reached the Platte River on the morning of the eighth day, having made excellent progress.

The first major argument took place at the ford for the Platte. Ren and Hosea scanned the skies and advised everyone to wait. But the skies seemed fine to everyone else and most were inclined to press on and cross. It was the first real test of whether or not the people would trust their young scout. Lory was inclined to wait, but he also knew the importance of getting everyone to agree. They finally relented and grudgingly began to circle the wagons.

The first hailstones hit within seconds after a thunderous crash. The hailstones began the size of marbles, but soon grew to the size of eggs. The Ishibashis, the Uesagis, and the scouts worked to keep the cattle together under nature's assault. It all lasted about ten minutes and then the weather lifted, leaving the pioneers to survey the whitened ground around them. They never argued about weather with the scouts again. Had they been in the river when the hail hit, they probably all would have drowned.

The thunderstorms continued off-and-on throughout the night. In the morning they began the crossing. The thunderstorms, hail and rain had softened the ground and the wagons turned both shores into thick, grasping mud, but the animals were still relatively fresh and the fording was completed before noon.

Everyone sat down for a meal before pressing on. Ren took a seat on a log near Kyoko and glared at Sho, who was becoming an ever-annoying presence. For the first few days after the incident in Kijima's wagon, Kyoko had been skittish around Ren, but she gradually relaxed and they returned to their normal routine. The only hiccup now was that Sho tended to appear whenever Ren did, thus causing a distraction and making it hard for Ren to act naturally around the golden-eyed cook.

This wasn't the only problem that Sho was causing in camp. He had been the catalyst behind more than one late-night poker game and Lory finally had to step in when too many wives were complaining about their husbands' losing valuable equipment to the young gunfighter. There was also the problem of the girls… and not just the single women… who gravitated towards the flamboyant, rakishly handsome young man. Many might have preferred Ren, but he was unresponsive. Sho on the other hand… Suffice it to say that Lory had to ban all dueling _and_ have a stern talk with the boy. But it was Aki Shouko who finally tamed the boy when she threatened to withdraw the partnership if he didn't behave.

**oOoOOoOo**

It was on the third day after crossing the Platte that an incident occurred that would prove invaluable to the wagon train later on. Many of the younger, wild riders liked to have races across the plains. Sho Fuwa was among those who often took part, as were the Ishibashis and Hiou Uesagi. On that morning Kyoko had already completed her breakfast chores and she was riding Princess for fun. As the boys flew by, Princess raised and lowered her head for her rider's attention. Kyoko followed her horse's signal and saw a little figure far in the distance.

In an instant they pair were flying across the plains. The first of the boys looked shocked as Kyoko passed, but she paid them no attention. Then she passed more, and more, until finally she caught up with Sho and Hiou. Hiou looked annoyed, while Sho tried to nudge Kyoko out of the path, but Princess easily sidestepped the two other horses and surged ahead, crossing the others and bearing down on the little figure.

Ren and Yashiro witnessed what followed, but even they were dumbfounded when slender little Kyoko bent down sideways in the saddle and scooped something out of the grass. The others finally realized what was happening and drew up, but they would have been too late to avoid the little girl who sat in shock, wrapped in Kyoko's arm.

Ren felt a surge of alarm as he saw the Cheyenne party on a rise. They appeared within twenty feet of Kyoko, far too close for Ren to intervene. But Kyoko didn't appear startled at all. She simply rode forward and stopped as a woman separated from the party and ran forward. Kyoko leaned down and delivered the little Cheyenne girl into her mother's waiting arms. They spoke… or at least communicated… for a few more minutes and then Kyoko waved to the Cheyenne party and rode back towards Ren.

Ren didn't know whether to strangle the girl or hug her. He did know that he didn't like the way all of the racers suddenly surrounded Kyoko and Princess, with everyone congratulating her at once.

Ren saw a warrior separating from the Indian party and he rode to meet the man. "Hello, Buffalo Knife," Ren said with a stern face. Buffalo knife had won his name as a teen by throwing himself onto a running buffalo and slaying the beast with only his knife. He was a good leader to his people, but his relations with white men were often volatile.

"Tall Thunder," the muscular Cheyenne nodded and then gestured towards the wagon train. "When did you leave the beaver to become a scout? You know that we do not want your people on our hunting grounds." Ren had been given his name after he proved his marksmanship with his hunting rifle, knocking down a bear at nearly 350 feet.

"We pass through, Buffalo Knife. Nobody will pitch a tent or drive a stake."

"We have heard this before; but then white men build forts; and then houses around the forts; and farms beyond the houses. They do not ask for permission. Already there are forts that stretch from the Missouri people to the big water."

"I cannot answer for this, my friend. I can only say what my people wish to do. They go to the green lands beyond great mountains and as far as the big water. You have my word as a man who has walked the same trails as you for years: my people will not break ground on your hunting grounds."

The burly Indian held Ren's eyes and then nodded, "The girl who rides Wind-Racer, is she your woman?"

Ren guessed the reason for the man's inquiry and so he nodded, "She is mine. The horse is known to you?" He remembered Kyoko's odd story on that first day when the animal came to her willingly.

"Yes. That horse and her forebears; they live free and allow nobody to ride them. If this one with the yellow eyes sits on her, then she is very strong in spirit." He seemed to muse on this for a moment. The Cheyenne held horsemanship as one of the highest virtues. "Wind Rider has saved my own daughter, Spring Flower. For this I will allow your people to pass." Ren was startled that this warrior chief would assign Kyoko a name normally reserved for males.

Buffalo Knife continued, "And I will add this: There is a blue-coat tribe who ride outside of the forts and stay away from their own people. They warn our people of your wagons. They urge us to attack you."

Ren's heart quickened, but he kept his face composed, "Does the leader of the Blue-Coats give his name?"

"He does not, but one of his men called him Ray-no. He sees more than other men, but he uses this to do evil. You need not worry as you pass through our people, but the Shoshone and Crow may listen to him. Many white men have passed through here to find gold and many have defiled our lands. The Crow, more than any, would like to stop this."

"I will be careful. And thank you, Buffalo Knife. May your spear always find good game."

The Cheyenne looked up into the sky, "The walking clouds will come early this year."

"Twisters," Ren said quietly. The Cheyenne nodded raised his hand in farewell, and rode away to catch his party.

* * *

><p><strong>Notes: <strong>A lot of small incidents in a single chapter. The hailstorm on the Platte was a common occurrence. Many pioneers actually became superstitious about crossing the Platte because of the seemingly purposeful storms that seemed to strike while wagon trains made the crossing.

Todd Middleton and his hand cart is a true-to-life story. There were actually several such incidents, including an entire group of Mormons who used that method to head along the California Trail. Todd Middleton is actually a true historical figure, though his exploits are mostly fictionalized in this story.

Hosea Hatter is also a historical figure. He was an African-American trapper who roamed from upper Canada to as far south as Northern California.

I stole the story of Spring Flower. Such an incident did happen along the Oregon Trail, though the little girl was rescued by a male scout, not a woman. Spring Flower grew up and married an Army Sergeant. She kept a journal from which the story of the rescue was taken.

Hailstorms, thunderstorms, flash floods and twisters all plagued the wagon trains all through the mid-west. On good days a wagon train might make twenty miles. On some bad days they were lucky to travel six or seven.


	13. Buffalo Knife and the Great Deception

**Chase the Sun**

**Disclaimer:** I do not own SkipBeat or the story that this title makes allusion to. In the interest of creating a more western feel, some of the names of the main characters have been slightly altered.

**Chapter 13 – Buffalo Knife and the Great Deception**

Buffalo Knife's prediction was accurate. The first "walking cloud" appeared during a dry storm on the following afternoon. Ren and Yashiro were scouting the about a mile forward when Yashiro made a remark about his ears hurting. Ren turned sharply and looked at him before looking up. Yashiro watched the man as he seemed to sniff the air and suddenly wheeled his horse east. In a heartbeat Ren and Jesse were galloping back down the trail, with Yashiro trying to catch up. Ren pulled up short at the crest of a rise and Yashiro almost fell off his mount trying to copy him.

He was about to speak when he saw the tall scout's concentration. He followed the man's gaze and watched, perplexed as he saw how the clouds were swirling. Ren was muttering something under his breath as he looked back and forth between the massive, crawling leviathan wagon train and the clouds. "Ren?" Yashiro prompted, "What's wro…" he broke off in an almost-squeak as he saw a finger of cloud reach down from the sky and another rise up from the ground.

"Twister," Ren pronounced ominously. Both men watched as the thin tunnel broke apart. Yashiro began to express relief, but Ren anticipated him. "It's not over. Twisters can jump."

"Shouldn't we warn the wagon train?" Yashiro asked frantically.

"And do what?" Ren said with deceptive detachment, "Unless we have a cave to drive two-hundred and fifteen wagons and all of the people into; not to mention almost a thousand cattle. Otherwise all we can do is hope that it will pass by."

"And if it hits the wagon train?"

"You don't want to know," Ren could tell now that people in the wagons had seen the first twister. Wagons were beginning to pull out of formation. People were running around. "We need to get down there." Ren and Jesse leapt forward again and hurtled down the trail, Yashiro following as well as he could.

As they drew closer they could see that Lory, Kijima, Kyoko, Kanae, Hosea and several others were riding to the trouble spots to maintain order. Kyoko, on Princess, danced away from one wagoneer who was driving his team towards the hills. The man was wide-eyed in panic and wouldn't listen. Ren rode toward them at a gallop, but when he saw the man's expression he veered off and blocked Kyoko instead. "Let him go, Kyoko!" He shouted over the sudden noise that seemed to surround them. "He won't listen now."

Kyoko didn't even notice Ren's use of her first name. Instead she looked up into the sky with a look of horror. Ren wheeled Jesse and saw a second twister as it formed in an instant and speared into the ground, scattering debris as it struck. Ren wheeled back, rode up to Kyoko, and yelled, "RIDE! NOW!"

She responded, or rather Princess responded for her and in a moment they were galloping back toward the wagon train. As they reached the train they wheeled again and watched in mute horror as the funnel cloud tracked across the landscape towards the panicked wagoneer. Several people around them shouted, as if to warn the man off, but neither the man nor the twister noticed them.

Then, as if the storm was driven by an intelligent, malign master, it seemed to track the wagon before it pounced on the the hapless victim. The man, the horses and the wagon were instantly sucked into the black column. There was one glimpse of the wagon, maybe fifty feet in the air, and then nothing. Finally, as if the twister was satiated, it dissipated as quickly as it began. The man, Roger Jarmin of Virginia, was never seen again.

Human beings are amazingly resilient and survival is sometimes its own comfort. Nobody in that wagon train would ever forget that scene, but within a half-hour they were ready to press on.

**oOoOOoOo**

Sho Fuwa, being young, rakishly handsome and having a reputation, was too busy for the first two weeks after joining the wagon train to give Kyoko much trouble. He was too busy enjoying the attentions of several other young ladies… and avoiding the negative attentions of their fathers, brothers, and hopeful suiters. True, he often sat himself near the common fire where Kyoko worked, but mostly that was because he didn't like the way that his taller rival seemed to be warming up to Kyoko.

Aki asked him about this one time, "I don't quite get you, Sho. Do you like the girl or don't you?"

"Like her?" Sho asked with over-emphasized incredulity, "That plain, boring, uninteresting girl?"

Aki had been watching Kyoko quite a bit over the past two weeks. It was true that the young lady was fastidious in her duties and serious for her age, but she would certainly not categorize Kyoko as plain, boring or uninteresting. It was quite obvious that other single men agreed with her, because quite a few seemed to find time each day to visit the main fire… and they weren't all there to look at Kanae… though the other girl was certainly the most eye-catching young woman in the wagon train. Kanae certainly got her share of unwanted attention, but there was also something both innocently alluring and fascinating about the golden-eyed cook. It was almost like watching the play of sunlight on water.

She didn't believe Sho's vehement protestations either. All too often she saw the young man's eyes fixed on his childhood friend. She also saw his expression whenever any man, and especially Ren, seemed to give her too much attention.

The incident with the little Cheyenne girl had become the talk of the campfires at night. Many of the more "proper" women felt that it was wrong for Kyoko to ride her horse with the men at all… much less astride. These same women were willing to praise the girl for the rescue, but were also quick to point out that there had been plenty of capable men who could have done the same without her interference. Several, sadly, didn't see the merit of saving a "redskin" of any age.

This last group became even more vocal when Buffalo Knife reappeared with his sister and his daughter. River Song, the young woman who Kyoko had handed Spring Flower to on that day, was not the girl's mother. Spring Flower's mother had died of Smallpox when the little girl was still an infant. The same plague had carried away River Song's man. Since then River Song was taking care of her niece until such time as Buffalo Knife would consent to another marriage for her.

Ren would have been happier if River Song _had_ been Buffalo Knife's mate. He had a sinking suspicion about the warrior's reasons for reappearing… and his suspicions were confirmed as he saw the man watching Kyoko with possessive intensity. Buffalo Knife's stated reason for joining the wagon train was to act as mediator between Takarada and the Cheyenne. He had given his promise and he intended to fulfill it. "I will stay with you until we reach the end of Cheyenne territory," he proclaimed sonorously as he tried not to look too confused about the man in front of him. At that moment Lory was dressed in the outfit of a maharajah of India, and his appearance was bewildering to the Cheyenne man.

Lory was a highly observant man. He had taken note of the warrior's interest in Kyoko; just as he had taken note of Ren's concealed look of consternation. Lory had hoped to see more progress from Ren once Sho Fuwa joined the wagon train, but thus far the love-triangle had not born much fruit. This new player promised to spice things up quite nicely.

Kyoko, as usual, was oblivious. She warmed to River Song and Spring Flower immediately. It didn't hurt that Spring Flower instantly attached herself bodily to her savior. The five-year old had been frightened during the incident, but after her aunt had explained what had taken place she decided that the golden-eyed girl must be some manner of angel. She spoke no English and Kyoko spoke no Cheyenne, but the girl would follow Kyoko around the camp and chatter away. Kyoko didn't mind, Maria thought the girl was cute, and even Kanae wasn't completely immune to those large, doe-like brown eyes.

This, of course, gave Buffalo Knife the excuse he needed to spend hours close to Kyoko's fire. Ren was unhappy about this, even more so because he knew that Buffalo Knife would quickly see through Ren's earlier lie about Kyoko being "his woman." So finally, after a long, morose day spent scouting the trail, Ren decided that he needed to do something.

**oOoOOoOo**

Lory Takarada laughed with malicious delight after Ren explained his plight. Ren, always cool, always in control, always _boring_… had finally done something foolish because of a woman. This was even more entertaining because Ren had probably chosen the most difficult woman on the wagon train to focus his feelings on. Lory had known this, but until this moment he had despaired of Ren ever stepping up and making his feelings known. "Well, you certainly put your foot in it this time, my friend."

Ren glared at the man even though Lory didn't look the slightest bit intimidated. "Yes… I did," he admitted through gritted teeth. "And I came to you because I needed you help… though now I see that I was wasting my time."

"Calm down, Ren," Lory said, looking more serious now, "I care about my young charge too. And though I like and respect Buffalo Knife, I do not consider it to be in Kyoko's best interest for her to be scooped up by that man and taken off to live with his people. So yes, I will help you."

And that was the reason that Kyoko found herself standing in a small clearing with Lory and Ren later that same afternoon. For once her little shadow, Spring Flower, wasn't with her. Maria had taken the girl to help collect rushes from a small pond bordering the trail. River Song was teaching Kyoko, Kanae, Maria, and several other women the art of making baskets.

River Song was accepted by approximately half of the women at the camp. For one, she was undeniably beautiful. For another, she was a cheerful, pleasant young woman who was always willing to jump in and help. And finally, the women found out that she was the daughter of a great chief, and therefore almost a princess in her own right. Unfortunately, not every woman… or man… accepted the presence of the three Cheyenne.

At the moment, however, Kyoko was more focused on this strange summons… and on the strange sense of anxiety that she was picking up from the tall scout. "Mr. Takarada… Sir… did I do something wrong?"

Lory looked completely serious… which wasn't easy to pull off while wearing a sombrero with a three-foot diameter to go with his vaquero outfit... but he didn't seem upset. In fact, Kyoko sensed some level of amusement. "Actually, Miss Mogami, I was curious about something: have you ever done any acting?"

"Ummm… well… a little… when I was in general school, before transferring to finishing school, I was once in a play?" Kyoko finished her answer as a question, bewildered by her boss' odd question.

Lory smoothed his sculpted mustache contemplatively. "Hmmm… that will have to do. I have a very special task for you."

Kyoko glanced at the tall scout who was standing stiffly to the side, looking off into the distance. He seemed to be deliberately avoiding her eyes. She turned her gaze back to Takarada, "A task?"

"Yes; Mr. Tsuruga needs a little assistance and you are the only one who can help."

Kyoko looked over at Ren with a look of alarm. Ren looked over at Lory sharply, caught Kyoko's eyes and glanced quickly away. "How could I possibly help Mr. Tsuruga? I'm only a cook. Mr. Tsuruga is a great scout, a gunfighter, a hunter and trapper. He can do anything! What can I do?"

Now Ren did look at her. It was flattering, in a way, that she thought so highly of him. But he couldn't understand her low self-esteem. From most other women he might have assumed it was an act, but he had watched Kyoko too closely to believe it from her. She would humiliate herself by setting up an old chuck wagon every day in St. Louis' ritziest neighborhood, but she wouldn't believe in her own appeal. _Well, at least that also means that she isn't aware of the attention from half the single men in this wagon train_.

Ren was perplexed at Lory's odd misdirection, but he chose to give the man the benefit of the doubt, at least for the moment. He didn't quite understand how Lory had made this his problem instead of hers. He waited suspiciously as the man spoke, "The Cheyenne admire great feats or strength, skill, or daring. They look for such qualities in a mate, Miss Mogami. As you know, Buffalo Knife and River Song are brother and sister. She is widowed."

Kyoko nodded. River Song actually spoke English well enough to be understood. She and Kyoko had enjoyed many late-evening conversations by the fire. Kyoko liked the woman and felt sad for her loss, "Yes, I know, , but I fail to see…"

"Buffalo Knide and his little family re-joined us for a reason, Kyoko. To find a suitable mate." Lory left off speaking there, allowing Kyoko to ponder this for several long seconds. He didn't wish to lie to Kyoko; he respected her too much for that; but he had also studied her and he could predict the direction her mind would take.

As he expected, her eyes went wide and she looked up at the tall scout, "River Song wants to marry you, Mr. Tsuruga?" Kyoko felt oddly conflicted about this. She really liked the young Cheyenne woman, but for some reason her chest constricted at the thought of her pursuing Ren.

Ren almost rolled his eyes at the ease with which Kyoko drew her own conclusions. _She probably never even gave a second's consideration that Buffalo Knife might be interested in her._ He shot a glare at Lory, wondering what the devious man had planned. He didn't have to wait long, "Miss Mogami, the Cheyenne are a proud people. At the moment they are also our allies. We certainly don't want to do anything to insult Buffalo Knife or his family, but this won't be resolved unless he clearly believes that the person he had chosen is… unavailable."

"Unavailable?" Kyoko asked with a tilt of her head.

"Attached," Lory paused significantly. When Kyoko continued to wait without understanding, he added, "Courting."

Then Kyoko's eyes did change. For a moment both men thought that Kyoko had understood his intent, but then she started talking and left both men bemused, "Oh, I see! And you want me to recommend a young lady for Mr. Tsuruga to 'pretend' to be courting? Kanae is the most beautiful girl in our wagon train, but she might not cooperate. Elaina is sparkly and full of life, but she is already in love with Mr. Tsur… Oh! I shouldn't have said anything… anyway, she might get serious. Katrina Michelson might… no, she is already courting Jacob Peller. Carina Czai…"

"Ms. Mogami!" Lory interrupted Kyoko's musings a little sharply. He could see Ren withdrawing from the meeting now that Kyoko was making it clear that she didn't even consider herself as a candidate. Both men knew that it was about Kyoko's self-perception, but it still rankled the tall man that she never even thought about forming a bond with him. _I could have predicted this, _he thought morosely. Lory continued in his deep, modulated tone, "Ms. Mogami, while I am sure that each of those women are quite nice… and could be suitable, it wasn't them that I was speaking of."

Kyoko looked at the man with innocent speculation. When she still didn't catch on, Lory sighed and said, "Ms. Mogami, I was speaking of you. I am asking you to act out a courtship with Ren until Buffalo Knife and his family leaves."

Kyoko looked startled, then frightened, and then horrified. Ren felt his heart plummet at Kyoko's expression and even Lory was shocked. When she finally spoke, it was in a choked, frightened voice, "Mr. Takarada… sir… nobody would ever believe… I mean…" She turned pleading eyes to Ren, "Nobody would believe that you would choose me! I'm plain and boring and…" That was all that she could say. She seemed to be shrinking into herself.

Ren saw Kyoko's beautiful, odd eyes going blank and he stepped forward, grabbing her arms. Despite his desire to help, he couldn't quite put away his frustration with her. "Kyoko, you don't have to do this. Someone else can help. We only thought that you could help because you have always been someone we could depend on."

Kyoko seemed to have the uncanny gift of being able to read Ren's moods. The only problem was trying to interpret his moods when directed at her. She felt his frustration and misinterpreted it as anger and disappointment with her. More than anything in the world at that moment she did not want to disappoint this man who she respected so highly. She was positive that her feelings toward him were profound respect… after all, what else could it be?

Her blank look faded and Kyoko bowed her head in shame, "If… if I can help…"

Lory had witnessed Kyoko's reaction to Ren's words. As a man skilled in reading people, he correctly interpreted her thoughts. _These two are more alike than they realize. _He made his expression stern, "I apologize, Miss Mogami. I suppose if you're not up to the challenge, I will find someone who…"

"I'll do it!" Kyoko interrupted. She had recovered and her eyes flashed with determination. Then she faltered, "But… how do I…?"

Lory smirked and both Kyoko and Ren felt a chill of concern.

* * *

><p><strong>Notes:<strong> It is time to deviate from the original. I hope that you will continue to enjoy my story.

To Lief the Lucky: you are correct in pointing out my error. The Mormon pioneers who followed the California Trail did use "hand-carts," not "wheel barrows." This is also true for Todd Middleton. Wheel barrows, in their modern iteration, did not come along until later. I have actually seen a photo of the cart that Todd pushed (or pulled, I am not certain). He was very old in the photo and he had kept that cart and used it to work his land and pull his children around. In the photo the elderly Todd stands with his wife, his children, and his many grandchildren. I won't identify his wife because that would give away his story. As for my error, it was an error in semantics, not history; I have tried to use original terms, but it isn't always easy to remember.

I give props to all pioneers, most especially those who took this journey despite the fact that they had neither money nor resources for such a venture. Though there are many aspects of the westward movement that we might not be proud of, I still believe that these men, women, and children are worthy of honor.


	14. The Calm before the Storm

**Chase the Sun**

**Disclaimer:** I do not own SkipBeat or the story that this title makes allusion to. In the interest of creating a more western feel, some of the names of the main characters have been slightly altered.

**Chapter 14 – The Calm before the Storm**

Sergeant Reino signaled a halt and dismounted his horse just short of the rise. Smith, the scout, dismounted as well, but the rest remained as they were. Neither man spoke as they moved cautiously forward until they could see the wagon train where it had halted for the evening.

"Do'ya see that redskin gal talking with that big brute?" Smith growled. "She's Buffalo Knife's sister. He's there somewhere too. So's 'is little brat."

"It would seem that our efforts to recruit the savages didn't draw any dividends, Mista' Smith," Reino drawled in a deceptively relaxed tone.

"I'll say! Never should'a trusted those red men anyways." Smith scratched his sun-blackened neck, "So should we just do this ourselves?"

"No," Reino answered with a hungry smile, "I think we'll try another option. As I hear it, there's plenty of men hanging around Boulder who don't have much of a stomach for panning or digging; real nice type… the ones who wait for others to score and then step in to… assist themselves to the spoils. Who knows, men like that might be willing to do a little side job; especially with Takarada's cargo and lots of young ladies to throw into the bargain. What do you think, Smith?"

The shorter, scruffy man sneered in answer. "An' mebbe, if'n the redskin and his whelp get caught in the crossfire, we can get the whole Cheyenne nation whipped up against Takarada and his train."

**oOoOOoOo**

Kanae Kotonami looked up from her task of handing out supplies to see her friend stumbling towards the wagon with a cloud of gloom surrounding her. Kanae was tempted to leave her task to go to Kyoko, but she had too many people waiting. Besides, she knew that Kyoko would be there eventually anyway.

But Kyoko never made it to the supply wagon. As she neared, she felt a nudge to her shoulder and hot breath on her neck. Kyoko smiled despite the burden on her mind and turned to caress Princess' nose. She was a little shocked to see little Spring Flower smiling down at her. Princess barely let anyone but Kyoko approach her. She only allowed Spring Flower and Maria to ride her, but only when riding with Kyoko. Nobody but Kyoko had ever been allowed to ride her alone.

Kyoko looked at Princess, who huffed in her own version of a shrug, as if to say, "How can I say no to someone so cute?"

Another voice, real and much deeper, interrupted Kyoko and Princess' silent communication. "I apologize, Miss Kyoko." Kyoko looked around her horse's shoulder to see the large, friendly face of Todd Middleton. He continued, "Spring Flower dragged me over to Princess and insisted on climbing on… your horse didn't seem to mind…"

The big man looked sheepish, but the little Cheyenne girl only chattered to him with a grin. He surprised Kyoko when he actually answered back in the same language. When he saw Kyoko's expression, he actually blushed a little, "Spring Flower… and River Song… have been teaching me."

Kyoko fixed on the idea that Spring Flower was teaching the young man. She completely missed the possible implications about River Song. Todd had been a hard-working, pleasant and interesting addition to the wagon train. He was always ready with a strong arm, a funny joke or just a smile. This made him quite popular, and Maria's easy acceptance of him made him popular to the rest of the younger generation. Maria's daring adventure as a stowaway and her successful defense of her two older friends had made her a hero among her peers. So when Maria generously exaggerated Todd Middleton's part in her adventure, he had been elevated in their minds as well.

All of this meant that it wasn't an unusual sight to see the large young man surrounded by children. And the little Cheyenne girl had become an almost permanent attachment. A few others had noticed that River Song was also in the young man's company often, but Kyoko hadn't. It was fortuitous for both Lory and Ren that she hadn't noticed, because that certainly would have shown their "request for help" to be the lie that it was.

The past week had been particularly difficult and highly embarrassing for Kyoko. In the guise of Ren Tsuruga's "intended," she had been required to act… affectionate… towards the tall scout… It wasn't that Kyoko saw anything wrong with the man. In fact, she truly considered Ren Tsuruga to be one of the finest men she had ever met. That was actually the problem; because anyone with a working mind should realize that someone like him could _never_ give a second thought to someone like her. And there were certainly enough single young females in the wagon train willing to point that out to her.

She hadn't been asked to do anything horrible, like kis… like anything inappropriate, but Mr. Takarada had been asked her to do little things, such as sitting beside the tall scout whenever he sat at the common fire, or bringing him special food dishes… that wasn't difficult, since she already did that… though only out of concern for his deplorable eating habits. Those activities weren't difficult, but Mr. Takarada also asked them to… hold hands… on occasion. That _was_ difficult because Kyoko felt an odd sense of… electricity… whenever that happened… which didn't make any sense and was deeply disconcerting.

And while she was having difficulty displaying affection, Ren certainly seemed to be having no trouble at all. Kyoko could only assume that he must have been quite the lady's man back in St. Louis, the way he sent her those looks that made her feel… _or at least the way he might have made her feel if she hadn't sworn off that horrible emotion forever_… Or the way that he would reach out at unexpected moments and push a strand of her hair behind her ear… Or the way…

Kyoko shook herself as she realized that both Todd and Spring Flower… and even Princess… were waiting for a response from her. It was easy to smile up as Spring Flower. "Would you like to go on a ride with me?"

Spring Flower blossomed into a huge smile and Todd stepped back. Just as Kyoko swung onto Princess' back behind the little girl, her father strode out from between two wagons. He stepped up as if to engage the pair in conversation, but Princess surged off into the prairie with Spring Flower's tinkling laughter drifting back to him. Buffalo Knife gritted his teeth. He had set his sights on the golden-eyed white girl before joining the train. Among his own people he was a sought-after mate. Even here, among these foreign intruders, he knew that many of the young women saw his manly attraction. But the girl he had chosen to fix his eyes on didn't seem to respond to him at all.

Buffalo Knife saw his pretty sister stepping out from the common area with a bowl in her hand. He watched as she shyly approached the large young man who had been helping Spring Flower only moments before. River Song kept her head tilted down slightly, but she still approached her target with determination. Todd Middleton saw her and a grin stole across his face, then he blushed slightly. Buffalo Knife shook his head. It was obvious that his sister had made better progress than he had himself.

The young chief liked the big man. He might be white, but he showed none of the animosity of some of his fellows. He was a hard worker, a passable hunter, and he had a quiet dignity about him that made Buffalo Knife respect him. There would be protests among his own tribe if he allowed the match, but then again it might solve at least one problem. Because River Song shared the same powerful father, any Cheyenne warrior who married her might seek advantage from the match. If she married outside of the tribe, then that challenge went away. The Cheyenne's eyes went back out to the prairie as he saw his daughter, Kyoko, and Wind-Racer flying past, and his fists clenched again.

He had his doubts when Tall Thunder claimed Kyoko, Wind Rider, as his own. And for the first week he thought that his doubts were confirmed. Now the two were behaving like a mated pair. Buffalo Knife considered folding up his tent and returning to his own, but he wasn't a man who easily admitted defeat. He was a fighter, a warrior whose very name made his enemies tremble in fear. _I have forgotten who I am. It is time to do this my way._

**oOoOOoOo**

Sho Fuwa, Hosea and three other men stopped their horses at the river again to drink. The days were becoming scorchingly hot and there hadn't been rain for over three weeks, not since the first days after crossing the South Platte River. The trek from Independence to the Platte had been fine and Sho had used the opportunity to meet all of the young ladies of the train; as well as a few of the younger married women… which had caused his current trouble. One of those younger married women had a much older husband; a man who took objection to his young wife's obvious infatuation.

Discretion being the better part of valor, Sho had accepted Lory Takarada's mission to scout the trail from past Fort Kearney to Fort Laramie. There had been rumors of trouble and the president of the train wanted to be prepared. The train had avoided Fort Kearney. Lory had known of a southern faction there who might take exception to the admission of blacks to the train. He did intend to re-stock at Fort Laramie before pushing on though.

Sho was glad to get away from the train. Alone on a horse he could travel for forty miles or more in a day. With the wagon train they seldom covered more than twenty and oftentimes much less than that. The wagoneers travelled in a cloud of dust, trudging alone at that ridiculously slow pace… and it was driving him insane with boredom. Out here, free and independent, Sho understood the lure of the hunters and trappers that had preceded him. This was a man's world; a place where true men like him could make their own way and prove what they were made of. That must be the reason that he wanted Kyoko to return home. This was no place for a woman.

Thus far Sho and the other scouts had seen no sign of trouble. He was questioning now whether it had been such a good idea to leave his childhood friend in the company of that overgrown idiot of a scout. He didn't like the way that the man looked at his… at Kyoko… though he couldn't explain, even to himself, why it bothered him so much.

After all, it wasn't as if _he_ wanted anything to do with that plain, boring girl… right?

**oOoOOoOo**

Jasper Smith travelled for four days, making good time in the warm early-summer weather. He didn't need to search for long. He knew this country well and he had camped out in this same area while hunting beaver and avoiding the roving Indian patrols. He knew the type of men he was looking for and had a good general idea of where they might hold up while waiting for the gold wagons to pass through.

Even though no open war had been declared, both the North and South knew that war was coming. Thus the Boulder Strike had taken on a new significance. War was expensive, and war on a continental scale, with railroads and water power and modernized weapons would be costlier still. Therefore a large portion of the gold coming out of the streams and mines in Colorado was being funneled directly into the nation's war chest… that portion that was making it to Washington. There had been several instances where that gold wasn't making the trip… and many suspected that the gold was going instead into secret southern caches.

There were other players as well: men such as Sergeant Reino had described; men with no firm opinion or interest in the coming conflict; men who sought only personal profit. Reino and Smith understood these men well. In fact, Reino had been in that category in California years before, and Smith had quietly slit many a throat in the name of personal profit.

So the scruffy Army scout wasn't particularly surprised, on the evening of the fourth day, when there was the sharp report of a rifle and a bullet plowed the ground beside his horse. Instead of panicking, Smith simply took off his hat and sat his horse, waiting for men to emerge from the deep shadows of the rocky canyon.

**oOoOOoOo**

"He's at it again," Abel muttered in an aside to Todd Middleton, who had been recruited to help in stockpiling wood for the next leg of the journey. Unlike many of the men, even northerners, Todd seemed to have no problem with Abel's brown skin, nor his status as a former slave. In fact, Todd often sought the much older man out for advice.

They were poised at the edge of the great, grassy, rolling plains that would stretch on for hundreds of mile. There was wood to be found, but often not nearly enough. Besides, Abel had learned a fondness for the scrubby mesquite that grew in small groves even this far north of the Rio Grande.

Todd rested his axe and glanced over at the muscular Cheyenne warrior as he sharpened his long spear. Buffalo Knife had gone hunting alone every day for the last week, using only his hunting spear. And every evening he had returned with a kill; an antelope, several deer and even a young buffalo. Those kills had been deposited in front of the wagon where both Kyoko and Kanae slept. And each night the powerfully built young man had taken a seat cross-legged near that same wagon and played a carved wooden flute. Now the warrior was preparing to go off again.

Todd chuckled softly. Most of the wagon train had been gossiping about the young chief's recent activities, but only Todd and a few others understood the full significance of the man's actions; River Song had blushingly explained that her brother was courting Kyoko Mogami, though the golden-eyed girl in question seemed unaware of the fact. "You reckon we should tell her what he's about?" Todd asked with a tone of sympathy. He had grown to respect the man, and not just because of Spring Flower and River Song.

"Nope," Abel pronounced without hesitation. "I'll admit that the man does sorta grow on you, but it ain't no life for a white woman."

Todd considered that for a time as he split several more chunks. "Reckon that's the same the other way around too…" he muttered more to himself than to Abel.

Abel grinned and his teasing brown eyes and surprisingly bright smile was set off in his dark skin, "That's a little different. Many an Indian gal has hitched up with a white man out here, Todd. It hain't always easy on the girl, but…"

Todd's eyes shot up in alarm as he became aware that he must have been thinking out loud, "No! That wasn't what I meant… I mean… River Song… she's a beauty and all… and she's smart… and…"

Abel raised an eyebrow in query, "And?" When Todd didn't continue, Abel sighed, "Look, young man: you told me once that it took little Maria to make you realize that you hesitated yourself straight into doin' nothing. Now you're gonna do it all over agin. And if'n Buffalo Knife decides he's had enough and he packs up his tent then you'll have lost that chance. Be ye a man, Todd Middleton?"

As if on cue, two figures ran into the nearby creek, laughing and splashing. Spring Flower mischievously kicked water up at her young aunt and the pretty young lady laughed in a free, happy manner that made Todd's chest ache.

**oOoOOoOo**

Kyoko felt skittish as she rode with beside Ren Tsuruga two miles south of the column of advancing wagons. They had just crested a small hill that afforded them a sight of the wagons, but now they were descending again and it seemed as if they were alone in the world; with only the whisper of the breeze in the tall grass and the hoof-beats of the horses as company. For the past few days Ren had been more insistent about taking Kyoko off on these rides. He hadn't mentioned Buffalo Knife's actions, but he had become even more demonstrative in his acts of affection.

Despite her nervousness at being alone with her tall companion, Kyoko was improving in other ways. Over the past week and a half Kyoko had become more comfortable with her false role as the tall scout's inamorata. She supposed that even the worst of tasks could become commonplace eventually. And it wasn't as if it _was_ the worst of tasks… exactly… it was just…

Kyoko tried not to allow that thought to reach its natural conclusion. She was becoming aware of the fact that, despite her own promise to herself and despite the falsity of this… arrangement… she was beginning to enjoy their play acting too much… _No!_ She shook herself mentally: _not enjoy! It's more like I've… adjusted… yes, that is a better word!_

"Is everything all right, Kyoko?" Ren's deep voice interrupted her thoughts, causing her to jump in her saddle. Thankfully Princess was used to her rider's occasional bouts of agitation. Ren chuckled and then reached over to push a stray strand of Kyoko's hair behind her ear. Kyoko's eyes grew wide and she was preparing to remind him that his act wasn't necessary while they were alone… but his fingers lightly brushed her temple and she couldn't find her voice.

Ren didn't say anything more, but he did give his riding companion a tender smile that almost robbed Kyoko of the ability to think at all. Then, without word or gesture, the couple turned back toward the long, sinewy train of wagons that were kicking up a cloud of dust in the distance.

**oOoOOoOo**

"Right pretty piece of fluff there, Sergeant," Marcus Taylor, one of Smith's recruits remarked as he studied the pretty girl on a horse next to the tall man. "I could pick that tall gent off pretty easily from here and then we could have ourselves a little party…" He leered at Sergeant Reino, who only returned the man's gaze urbanely. But the look was a lie, because Taylor could see the coldness in the sergeant's eyes.

"We wait, you fool," he said in a soothingly dangerous voice, "If you shoot now you'll warn off the whole wagon train. There are more than a few good shots among those wagoneers and they outnumber us ten-to-one. We'll need surprise to gain an advantage; that and a nice moonless night." Then he looked Marcus Taylor directly in the eyes and spoke with a voice as cold as an ice storm, "And that _particular_ bit of fluff belongs to me. I've got plans for that one. The rest are yours for the picking. Is that clear?"

The big man gulped and nodded, but decided it was wiser to say no more.

"Good. Now get your men darkened up. We have an Indian attack to make."

**oOoOOoOo**

She could see the two young women leaning close to whisper loudly to each other, while they snatched occasional baleful glances at the couple sitting on the other side of the large common fire.

She moved closer, staying in the dark shadows so that she could hear one of them practically snarling, "As if it wasn't enough that she's always arguing… or should we say flirting… with that rake Sho Fuwa! Now she has her hooks into Ren Tsuruga too!"

The other girl nodded stiffly and chimed in, "Can you believe that beggar girl? Hanging onto him all of the time? Anyone can see that Mr. Tsuruga isn't even intereste… whaaAAAAAHHH!" The whining woman suddenly leapt up, dancing a terrified jig and slapping at her hair. Just as suddenly the other young woman also jumped up and started pulling on her hair. When others moved closer to see what was happening, they all began to laugh… except for the ones who were also deathly afraid of large bugs.

Kanae stepped back into the shadows and purposefully unclenched her fists. She glanced over to where a little, cute face surrounded by cropped blond hair grinned evilly. Only then did she realize that the insect-attack had been deliberate. Their eyes met in the dusk and Kanae nodded to her young ally in acknowledgement. Then both figures faded away into the dark.

Kanae strode along the outside of the circled wagons and her fists clenched again. Although she felt the urge to support her friend, she didn't understand this sudden change. How could the girl who had sworn off love forever, who went into a dark study at the mere mention of the word, suddenly choose to allow that big, scruffy, smelly,… Kanae shook her head. She knew perfectly well that she was being unfair. Although she didn't care for the overly tall scout, she had been around him enough to know that the man was both well-educated and well-mannered… though that didn't necessarily make him good enough for Kyoko.

And then there was Kyoko herself: Kanae knew the girl well enough to know that her outward actions didn't match her internal desires… Oh, Kanae could tell that her friend did have feelings for the tall man… feelings that she wasn't ready to acknowledge or even possibly understand… but she was definitely not yet ready to act on those feelings in the way that she seemed to be acting at the moment.

_What's really going on? And why do I care one way or the other? It isn't like she has to tell me anything! This whole "best-friend" thing is just a big joke anyw…_ She stopped walking as some instinct made her look searchingly out into the darkening plain. That same instinct made her step back between two wagons as she continued to scan the tall grass. _There! _She heard the rustling and saw the unnatural movement of the grass.

She moved quickly now, understanding her own defenseless situation. Her and Kyoko's wagon was too far away, so she headed for the cook-wagon. She kept her eyes turned away from the fire to preserve her night vision. A quick reach into the back found Abel's rifle and her eyes went back to scanning the dark again. Nothing happened for a long time and she was just about to scoff at her own ridiculous paranoia when a balding head popped out of the grass and aimed a rifle directly at her.

* * *

><p><strong>Notes: <strong>Sorry for the way that this chapter jumps around a lot of situations and a lot of players, but it will all come together soon. Until then, please enjoy the story.

My thoughts and prayers go out to the victims, survivors, friends and families of the Colorado shooting. One of my fellow Fictionpress writers lost a friend in that incident, and she is only one of many.

On a lighter note: Go Olympians!


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